Apple Tech Tips

HOW TO USE FACE ID ON YOUR iPHONE WHILE WEARING A MASK – “Face ID is designed to work with your eyes, nose, and mouth visible,” according to Apple. If you’re wearing a mask in the grocery store and other public places, that’s a problem. Here’s what you need to know about unlocking your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask.

HOW TO USE SIDE-BY-SIDE APPS (SPLIT VIEW) ON AN iPAD – Split View on the iPad is a powerful multitasking feature that lets you use two supported apps on the screen at the same time. Still, it can be confusing to figure out how it works, and mastering it takes practice. Here’s how to use it.

HERE’S HOW CONTACT TRACING WILL WORK ON iPHONES AND ANDROID PHONES – Google and Apple are working with public health organizations on contact-tracing apps, and this week, they provided details on how that will work. Here’s what to expect.

We all want to stop the spread of the coronavirus and end the pandemic crisis. Contact-tracing is one way to do this, and Google and Apple are working on a cross-platform contact-tracing system for iPhones and Android smartphones that will be available via official health apps.

This system has not yet rolled out. Google and Apple have only published an application programming interface (API) for it, which public health organizations can use to build apps. But Google and Apple this week provided details on what contact tracing might look like inside the health apps and at the OS level on iOS and Android. Here’s what to expect.

THE EASIEST WAYS TO VIDEO CHAT WITH FAMILY ON MOTHER’S DAY – Spending Mother’s Day apart can be hard, whether it’s due to social distancing or just because you don’t live near each other. For many mothers, a video chat offers a better experience than just talking on the phone. Plus, it’s easy to set up, even if your mom isn’t tech-savvy.

There are few things mothers love more than having their kids all together in one place. While social distancing makes this difficult, you can use any number of free video-chat applications to connect the whole family. Which service you choose will depend on which devices your mom has and can easily use.

HOW TO CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY OVER A DISTANCE – If you’re bound to spend Mother’s Day separated because of social distancing or other logistical reasons, there are still lots of ways to celebrate the ones who made us. Bring family together, wherever they are, and find ways to celebrate.

HOW TO TRACK AND MANAGE YOUR PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS – Now that every company has its own streaming platform, it’s a good time to get a handle on your subscription services. These apps can monitor what you’re spending and help you trim the fat.

Cord cutting has long been touted as the answer to costly monthly cable bills. Don’t pay for channels you never watch; just stream your favorite shows online.

HOW TO BLOCK CALLS, DISABLE NOTIFICATIONS, CONTROL CENTRE WHILE PLAYING GAMES ON iPHONE – There is no doubt that iPhone is the best gaming smartphone in the world. The App Store is filled with thousands of high-quality games as well as some titles that are exclusive to iOS. Unfortunately, there is no built-in Gaming Mode on the iPhone to provide a better gaming experience.

38 GMAIL TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU CONQUER EMAIL – Google’s free email service has come a long way since its debut in 2004. It’s time you became a Gmail power user. These tips will get you there.

Gmail has come a long way. It’s not perfect and occasionally prompts ripples of outrage across its user base. But let’s be honest: with Gmail you get plenty for nothing.

As a web app, Gmail is a constant work in progress, but the amount of under-the-hood power is pretty staggering. Sure, there are plenty of browser add-ons and extensions that can enhance Gmail specifically, far beyond its original parameters. However, not every bit of power-user tech in Gmail requires special accessories. Plenty is possible via the main interface without ever installing something extra.

Mastering even a few settings will help you take full advantage of what Gmail has to offer beyond the basics. Let’s get started.

HOW TO MAKE AND RECEIVE PHONE CALLS ON YOUR iPAD OR MAC – For those times when your iPhone isn’t handy, your iPad and Mac can handle phone calls, thanks to a feature known as iPhone Cellular Calls. Here’s how to set it up.

For those times when your iPhone isn’t handy, your iPad and Mac can handle phone calls, thanks to a feature known as iPhone Cellular Calls. All you need to do is set up the feature on your phone, and any other compatible Apple devices you want to use.

iPhone Cellular Calls is part of Apple’s Continuity system, which is designed to sync and share certain capabilities across iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, and Mac, and also includes Handoff and Universal Clipboard.

Here’s how to set it up and start taking calls without touching your phone.

HOW TO CONNECT YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD TO YOUR TV- Your iOS devices are great media players, but sometimes you want to watch on a big screen. Here’s how to connect your phone to your TV.

Though phone and tablet screens have grown over the years, sometimes your iPhone or iPad display is just too small. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to connect your Apple device to any recent TV for a bigger-screen media experience. Here’s our guide, from the simplest to the most complex solutions.

APPLE CARPLAY: AN INTRODUCTION – Apple Carplay is like having your iPhone built into your car. Here’s an overview of what you can expect from the car system.

Back in 2014, Apple introduced CarPlay as a new way to extend your iPhone’s capability to your vehicle. I recently when shopping for a car, it was the killer feature I had to have. Now I can’t imagine life without. Here is how it works and why you might fall in love with it too.

CHARGING HABITS TO MAXIMIZE BATTERY LIFE – Smartphone users — casual and enthusiast alike — are forever in search of longer battery life. While fast charging keeps us topped up every day, the absence of replaceable batteries means eventually the lithium-ion cells enclosed in our phones are going to age and deteriorate.

If you’ve held onto a phone for a year or more, you’ve probably noticed the battery doesn’t seem to last as long as it did when it was brand new. Two years down the line and many phones struggle to make it through the day on a single charge. Holding onto a phone past three years can even spell trouble for system stability.

Unfortunately, battery capacity inevitably declines with age. However, there are things you can do to prolong the life of your battery and handset. If you’ve ever wondered what the best way to charge your battery is, here are some scientifically proven tips for maximizing battery life.

Go to this Android Authority web article and charge smartly. Good advice for any smartphone. https://bit.ly/2zUogPO

5/1/20

IPHONE 6, 6S, & 7 VS. iPHONE SE: SHOULD YOU UPGRADE? – Apple in April 2020 unveiled the iPhone SE, a new low-cost iPhone that marries the design of the iPhone 8 with the super fast A13 chip in the iPhone 11, all for a super low $399 price tag.

If you have an older iPhone, like an iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, or an even earlier iPhone, you may be wondering whether it’s worth the upgrade to a newer device. In a nutshell, the answer is yes, but we’ll walk through the reasons why in the guide below.

USB 4 SPECS AND FEATURES: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW DOUBLE-SPEED USB – USB is one of tech’s ultimate success stories – a universal standard that has been the center of wired data and power transfer for 20 years now.

But things have got a little confusing over recent years with the USB 3.x standards having multiple cable types. That’s been made more confusing by having multiple connectivity standards as part of this, too.

This will be fixed with the incoming USB 4.0, which will use one standard connector and bring multiple connectivity standards together.

The USB 4 specification has now been published and will probably appear in devices in late 2020 or early 2021 – it usually takes around 18 months for devices to come to market once a new standard is published for the first time.

Over 50 companies are currently involved in the standard, especially those behind the USB Promoter Group – Apple, HP, Intel, Microsoft, ST Microelectronics and Texas Instruments.

Go to this Pocket Lint web page and read about the History of USB and what USB 4 will provide. https://bit.ly/2VUUiUr

WHAT IS CELL PHONE CONTACT TRACING? – Google and Apple just released software to let developers create contact-tracing apps and fight COVID-19. What does this do? We can explain.

Stopping COVID-19 before there’s a vaccine means preventing sick people from spreading it. While total lockdowns are one way to do that, South Korea and China have dramatically reduced infections in part by contact tracing, the practice of tracking those with whom infected people have come into contact.

THE 10 BEST FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD SITES – Free ebook downloads are hard to find unless you know the right websites to visit. This article lists some of the best sites that offer free ebooks for you to read.

FREE ALTERNATIVES TO ADOBE’S BEST PRODUCTS (PREMIERE PRO, PHOTOSHOP, AND MORE) – Adobe is a staple of creative work in the modern world, with software covering everything from graphic design to video editing under its umbrella. It’s the first company many people turn to when wanting to break into any creative field. But while Adobe’s products are great, they don’t come cheap, and many people would be better off starting with the numerous free alternatives available today.

Adobe’s products are the cutting edge of their respective fields, so naturally, they’re expensive to produce which then, in turn, translates to a hefty price tag. But the vast majority of people don’t need the cutting edge. Even a lot of professionals don’t, so when you take just a step or two down in overall power, you can find some great free alternatives.

Yesterday, President Trump suggested that doctors “inject” disinfectant to cure COVID-19, which is toxic and would severely hurt people, according to all medical authorities and the people who make Lysol. Bleach and human bodies aren’t compatible.

Disinfectants also can really harm your cell phone, unless they are ruggedized. I’m in the middle of reviewing Kyocera’s new DuraXV Extreme flip phone for Verizon, and I also have a Sonim XP3 flip for AT&T and Sprint. If you’re paranoid about cleaning your phone, these are some excellent choices, because the super-rugged devices can be scrubbed, hosed down, and even sprayed with a Clorox bleach-based cleaner. Take a look in this fun video:

Go to this PC Magazine article and video at the end of the article. Very good information. https://bit.ly/2W1sHzP

HOW TO ADD AN APP TO THE DOCK ON AN iPAD – The iPad’s dock makes launching favorite apps and multitasking easy because you can access it from everywhere with a simple swipe. With just a few easy steps, you can add any app to the dock. Here’s how.

HOW TO MASTER NOTIFICATIONS ON YOUR iPHONE – The iPhone is a notification machine. Left unchecked, it will ping you about every little thing from every single app, all day long. It’s time to take control and master iPhone notifications once and for all.

HOW TO TURN OFF YOUTUBE NOTIFICATIONS ON iPHONE, iPAD, AND ANDROID – If you’re a YouTube fan, you might appreciate new channel recommendations or the odd notification when your favorite YouTuber posts a new video. If you’d prefer to disable these notifications, though, you can do so on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

THE BEST FREE-TO-PLAY GAMES ON ANY PLATFORM – It’s true that the games market is currently saturated with a lot of sub-par freemium games, especially on mobile. However, we have also seen many great free-to-play games launched in recent years. From battle royale games, to MOBAs, to spectacular indies, there is enough variety for even the most hard-to-please gamers. So if, you don’t want to spend any cash but want to enjoy some high-quality and entertaining titles, here are our picks for the best free-to-play games on any platform.

HOW TO DRAW IN MICROSOFT WORD – While Microsoft Word isn’t the best drawing tool, you can create basic drawings or scribbles in Word directly. Here’s how.

Microsoft Word isn’t essential software for graphics designers, and for good reason. It’s true—Microsoft Word isn’t best suited for drawing, but it does have some built-in drawing tools you can use, should you need to.

For simple drawings, you can draw in Word directly using shapes, lines, or pen tools. If you want to draw in Microsoft Word, here’s what you’ll need to do.

These instructions have been designed with Microsoft Office 2019 in mind. While the steps may work for older versions of Word, there may be some variations or missing features.

A STRING OF TEXT IS CRASHING iPHONES, iPADS, APPLE WATCH – Only Apple can stop this happening with an iOS update, but thankfully a reboot does get your device working again.

If you own an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, you could be in for a frustrating next few days as a string of text included as part of a notification will crash any of those devices. And as you’ve probably guessed, news of this text is going viral, which leads to it being used even more.

DON’T SEND BANDS WITH APPLE WATCH FOR REPAIRS AS YOU WON’T GET THEM BACK – If your Apple Watch is malfunctioning or if it is broken, and if you’re planning to send the smartwatch to Apple for repair, you should remove the wrist bands before shipping it. Otherwise, you won’t get those bands back from Apple.

Apple has recently updated one of its support documents to mention that users should remove wrist bands from the Apple Watch before sending it in for repairs. The same goes for the watch’s other accessories such as screen protectors, chargers, or more. The company mentions that it won’t send back wrist bands or accessories with its smartwatch after it is done repairing the device.

PSA: A VIRAL TEXT STRING WITH AN ITALIAN FLAG AND SINDHI CHARACTERS WILL CRASH YOUR iPHONE [U] (Public Service Announcement) – Every so often, a bug in iOS emerges where a certain string of text will cause your iPhone or iPad to crash. This week, another such string of text is going viral, and a fix from Apple is not yet publicly available.

The string of text, which we aren’t going to share here, includes the Italian flag emoji and characters in the Sindhi language. When an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch receives a notification with this text string, things get wonky. Sometimes, your device will crash, while other times it completely stops responding to touch input, and much more.

One temporary fix, until Apple releases software updates to resolve the problem, is to disable notifications on your devices. Thankfully, if you do receive a message with the text string in it, you can reboot your device and things should be back to normal.

HOW TO CREATE AND USE LIVE WALLPAPERS ON iPHONE WITH THIS COOL TRICK – Live Photos on iPhones is a handy feature as it automatically takes a 3-second moving image — 1.5 seconds before you press the shutter button and 1.5 seconds after pressing the shutter button — to bring your photos to life. The good thing is you can also set a Live Photo as a Live Wallpaper on your iPhone. But do you know one can also create Live Wallpapers using a static image and a video and set it as a Live wallpaper?

The web is filled with talented creators who are providing static images with a video. Users can download them on their iPhone, create a Live photo from it and use it as a Live Wallpaper for their iPhone’s lock screen or home screen. In this post, we will provide a source to download images and videos on the iPhone and guide t of it. Let’s get started.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR ZOOM BACKGROUND TO A FUN PHOTO OR VIDEO – People often use Zoom for work and conference calls, but it doesn’t have to be all work and no play. You can use an interesting photo or video virtual background during the call to liven things up!

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR SKYPE VIDEO CALL BACKGROUND – Skype now offers custom backgrounds. Rather than show everyone your office, you can choose any backdrop image you like. Skype will automatically detect and replace the background behind you with the image while you’re video chatting, just like Zoom can.

HOW TO MAKE VOICE AND VIDEO CALLS ON SKYPE – Skype has long been one of the most popular video-calling apps. Even better, it’s free and available on all major platforms, including iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows. We’ll walk you through how to use it!

APPLE LAUNCHES NEW ‘TODAY AT APPLE (AT HOME)’ INITIATIVE – Apple today launched a new “Today at Apple (at Home)” program that replaces the popular “Today at Apple” sessions that are hosted in its retail stores.

The new Today at Apple (at Home) website features creative projects created by Creative Pros from Apple Store locations all over the world, with all of the tutorials able to be completed at home. Sessions, which are presented as short videos, include drawing playful portraits with iPad, capturing striking photography with iPhone, and shooting photos with personality with ‌iPhone‌, and Apple will likely add additional fun projects in the future.

Apple will likely be providing these creative videos for people until it is able to begin reopening its Apple retail locations around the world. All Apple stores outside of China have been closed since March 14, and there is no word yet on when stores will be able to open again.

Apple yesterday also introduced a series of new activities designed for children and families, all of which can be done using an ‌iPad‌, and it has provided remote learning tutorials for parents and teachers to allow them to better adjust to remote teaching techniques.

APPLE’S COVID-19 MOBILITY TRENDS SITE PROVIDES USEFUL LOCATION DATA WHILE PROTECTING YOUR PRIVACY – The site aims to help public health authorities see where people are reducing travel while still protecting your privacy.

Apple has launched a new site, apple.com/covid19/mobility, that uses data pulled from Apple Maps requests to show “mobility trends” for various regions. The aim is to help public health officials to understand where people are taking heed to shelter-in-place orders or guidelines and where they are not.

Anyone can go to the site and search for info from many major cities along with 63 countries or regions. Some cities or regions may not show up because Apple doesn’t have enough data to ensure accurate trends.

OFFICE 365 REBRAND TO MICROSOFT 365 – Office 365 is being renamed to Microsoft 365. With the new branding also comes new features. Here’s what you need to know about the name changes.

21st April 2020, Microsoft changes the name of several commercial and small businesses Office 365 products to Microsoft 365. It’s just a cosmetic change; all features and programs stay the same. Microsoft keeps the name Office 365 for most of its enterprise products such as Office 365 for Enterprise, Office 365 for Firstline, Office 365 for Education and Office 365 for Governments

What exactly is changing?

Office 365 Personal/Home will replace with Microsoft 365 Personal and Microsoft 365 Family. With Microsoft 365 Personal for $6.99/month includes Office applications, 1TB storage in the cloud service OneDrive, Skype with 60 minutes calling to mobile/landline plus support. Microsoft 365 Family for $9.99 includes the same as personal and includes for up to six people.

Microsoft 365 Personal/Family future versions are increasing security by an innovation called Family Safety. It will include features such as managing screen time,. And share location data so it will be possible to notify if someone leaves home.

When will the new names appear?

Starting 21st April 2020 the products and plans rebranded names start to be used by Microsoft.

Why this rebrand?

Microsoft mention two reasons for this name change from Office 365 to Microsoft 365.

Simplifies for customers to find the plan they need.

To separate enterprise/small businesses and consumer plans by name.

The name ‘Office’ has historically associated with typical applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Today it is so much more with OneNote, Teams, Forms, Planner, and Streams. Also, a lot of new features require cloud connectivity and make uses of advanced AI.

What does this mean for me?

Unless you are managing Office 365 ProPlus installations, you don’t have to do anything. Everything will work as before, just with a different name. If you got documentation using the old names, it could be an idea to replace the product names you are currently using with the new names.

HOW TO ADD A PIN TO PROTECT YOUR NETFLIX ACCOUNT PROFILE – We have shown you how to restrict mature Netflix content from kids. And Netflix has added some new parental control features. One example of this is the ability to add a PIN to your profiles. The feature is called “Profile Lock” which adds an extra layer of security to your account. Here’s how to use it.

iOS 13 BATTERY DRAIN ISSUES: 10+ TIPS TO IMPROVE IPHONE BATTERY LIFE – If you have installed iOS 13 – iOS 13.4 and noticed that your iPhone’s battery is draining fast then you have come to the right place. In this guide, we will show you how to diagnose and fix bad iPhone battery life issues on iOS 13.

Go to this iPhone Hack web site and discover all the ways you can improve battery life for your iPhone. https://bit.ly/2K8H67z

HOW TO EXPORT AND DELETE ATTACHMENTS FROM MESSAGES – Apple offers several ways to work with attachments, if you can find them.

Syncing Messages via iCloud lets you have access to all your conversations and associated pictures and files on all the devices you’ve connected with your iCloud account. However, Messages storage can really add up if you send and receive lots of images or videos.

I documented in October 2019 how you can delete individual photos and other attachments via the Messages app in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It’s tedious, but it works.

But there are other methods you can use. And you can export attachments before deletion if you want to retain them.

MISS YOUR FRIENDS? TRY THESE APPS FOR A VIRTUAL PARTY, TRIVIA NIGHT, OR GOSSIP SESSION – Feeling the fatigue of weeks and weeks of quarantine? Download one of these apps and breathe new life into your socially distant social life.

Getting pretty tired of staying inside all the time? You’re not alone. As the world continues to hunker down and weather the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to rapidly adapt to a new lifestyle where the closest we can get to a non-housemate is six feet. Thankfully, the internet helps us adapt quickly, with video calls becoming the new social norm. Here are the must-use apps and services to simulate a social life as best you can.

HOW TO FIND A BOOK WITHOUT KNOWING THE TITLE OR AUTHOR – Do you want to find a book title when you can only remember the plot? It’s easy when you know how.

Sometimes you remember a book you read by its jacket. Sometimes by the actions of an obscure character. However, there are times when you can’t even remember the author or title. Everyone has book amnesia at times, so expect to see (or ask) a question like this one day:

“What was that book which had something about a puppet master as a murderer?”

In the old days, you could have asked the librarian. Today, you can go online and use these tips to find a book when you don’t know the title or author.

THE 10 BEST REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH APPS FOR IPHONE AND ANDROID – Search engines make it easy to find information or buy products, but what if you want to identify a picture you have? In these cases, reverse image search comes to the rescue.

This powerful feature allows you to upload an image to search instead of entering text. Let’s take a look at the best reverse image search tools available on your iPhone or Android device.

HOW TO GET RID OF TWO APPS SIDE-BY-SIDE ON AN IPAD – While using your iPad, you may end up with two app windows on the screen by accident due to multitasking features called Slide Over and Split View. The extra app window can be frustrating to remove if you don’t know the right gestures. Here’s how to do it. ( 2 different cases)

YOU CAN NOW WATCH SOME APPLE TV PLUS AND YOUTUBE ORIGINALS FOR FREE – Apple’s dedicated streaming service – Apple TV Plus – is reportedly offering a bunch of original shows and movies for free streaming. YouTube is also doing the same for its YouTube Premium originals.

The move is likely prompted by the ongoing coronavirus crisis that has millions of people across the world locked in their homes.

GIVE YOUR EYES A BREAK: HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT BLUE LIGHT GLASSES – Staring at your monitor for hours at a time? Computer glasses might help. Here’s what you need to know.

As we spend more and more time at home and staring at screens, we’re becoming increasingly vulnerable to eye strain. You’ve probably already heard of blue light and how it can hurt your eyes, and maybe a pair of blue light blocking glasses caught your attention. But it’s important to understand that there are lots of options for reducing eye strain when staring at screens, and they go beyond just getting new lenses. Here’s what you should know about blue light, and some of your choices for reducing your exposure to it.

HOW TO SIT PROPERLY AT YOUR COMPUTER TO AVOID BACK PAIN AND FATIGUE – You may have heard that sitting too much can be bad for your health but what’s exactly behind that idea and how can we fix it? With more people working from home and likely spending time in compromised postures, let’s look at how to sit properly at your computer to avoid pain, tightness, and fatigue.

Sitting sounds like an innocent and natural thing but as Dr. Kelly Starrett explains, there’s a lot to it, and most people don’t sit properly and create issues like pain, stiffness, and fatigue.

Sitting—like standing—is one of the most technically challenging things we do. Yet most of us are clueless when it comes to sitting well.

Sitting is an inevitable part of modern life and likely you’re doing more of it if you’re working from home. So let’s dive into the mechanics of how to sit properly to avoid pain, stiffness, and fatigue and we’ll also look at how to use an exercise ball as a great chair option and more.

SLING TV’S “HAPPY HOUR ACROSS AMERICA” GIVES YOU FREE TV ACCESS EVERY NIGHT – Starting today, Sling TV has one of the best kind of deals you ask for—free TV for new customers. From 5 PM until midnight Eastern Time, you get access to 32 channels for absolutely free. And while you do need to sign up for an account, you don’t need to provide a credit card.

This latest deal is an expansion of Sling’s recent “Stay in & SLING” initiative and expands on the content the streaming company was already offering for free. During the “Happy Hours,” you get access to Sling’s Blue plan, which usually costs $30 a month. On the Blue plan, you can watch A&E, AMC, Bravo, CNN, E!, FOX News, FX, HGTV, HLN, MSNBC, TLC and more.

Sling didn’t say how long the Happy Hour initiative would last, but presumably, you’ll eventually have to pay to watch. For now, since you don’t have to provide a credit card, it’s hard to think of a reason not to take the free channels. Just make sure to sign up for an account at the Happy Hour link.

April 8, 2020

iPHONE IS DISABLED? HOW TO FIX IT WITH OR WITHOUT CONNECTING TO COMPUTER – “iPhone is disabled, try again in 1 minute.” This is the last message you would want to see when you pick up your iPhone. So, how did it happen? How can you fix it? Will you need a PC or Mac to bring back the iPhone in normal mode? The answer is more complicated than that. Let’s understand the situation in detail. First, let’s review the possible scenarios that may lead your iPhone being disabled.

Apple provides Touch ID and/or Face ID as biometric authentications for unlocking iPhones. One can also opt to add a password to unlock the device. So when someone steals your iPhone, it might take thieves around 4 hours or a computer about 6 min to crack the four-digit passcode combination on your device. To prevent the practice, Apple has added a security layer that disables the device after five unsuccessful attempts.

Here is how long your iPhone will be disabled depending on the number of unsuccessful attempts at unlocking it:

The situation also arises when your kid accidentally messes around your iPhone. And if you are someone who puts their iPhone in a busy pocket, then you might get surprised with the iPhone disabled message.

HOW TO QUICKLY TURN OFF ANNOYING NOTIFICATIONS ON APPLE WATCH – By default, Apple Watch buzzes every time your iPhone does. But what if you want to turn off particularly annoying app notifications on your Apple Watch? You can do this right from your wrist.

HOW TO SWAP LEFT AND RIGHT MOUSE BUTTONS ON AN iPAD – With a mouse, you can “right-click” on your iPad—Apple calls this a “Secondary Click”. If you’re left-handed instead of right-handed (or simply prefer a different setup), it’s possible to swap the function of the two main mouse buttons. Here’s how.

Go to this How-to Geek web site and get the shots steps with screenshots.

USING AN APPLE iPHONE AS A HOTSPOT FOR TETHERING – When you need an internet connection, you really need an internet connection. In situations like that, you can use your iPhone as a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Just like Android phones, Apple’s iPhone supports taking your cellular connection and sharing it with other devices. That feature is handy when you’re not near Wi-Fi or if your Internet at home isn’t quite handling the load.

Go to this Groovy Post web site and get the information with a complete basic glossary of terms. https://bit.ly/3e1WBvK

TO STOP HIJACKINGS, ZOOM WILL TURN ON THE ‘WAITING ROOM’ FEATURE FOR ALL USERS – Starting on Sunday, the company is also requiring passwords on everyone’s previously scheduled meetings to help prevent unwanted guests from infiltrating the video conferencing sessions.

To stop a wave of hijackings, Zoom is requiring passwords on all previously scheduled meetings, and also enabling the “Waiting Room” feature for whenever you host a video session.

The change will take effect on Sunday as the company’s video conferencing software has become the target of pranksters and racists, who’ve been infiltrating Zoom sessions to embarrass and harass unsuspecting users.

“If your attendees are joining via a meeting link, there will be no change to their joining experience,” the email says. “For attendees who join meetings by manually entering a Meeting ID, they will need to enter a password to access the meeting.”

THESE 17 MOVIES WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE EARLY TO HELP EASE YOUR CORONAVIRUS ANXIETY – The Call of the Wild, Onward, Bad Boys for Life, and more are available to rent or buy from streaming services way ahead of schedule.

Movie lovers cooped up at home because of the growing coronavirus threat are getting an unexpected but welcome treat from Hollywood studios: early video-on-demand (VOD) releases of some recent blockbusters, including some films still in theaters (the few that are open, that is).

Following the unprecedented closure of movie theaters around the globe to help curb the spread of COVID-19, movie studios have been frantically shuffling their schedules, postponing some of their biggest releases (such as No Time to Die, A Quiet Place 2, and F9) for months or even until next year.

But Hollywood isn’t only throwing out the rule book as far as their upcoming releases go; they’re also shattering the traditional three-month U.S. theatrical window when it comes to more recent and even current movie releases.

That means instead of waiting until (most likely) May to rent the hit horror movie The Invisible Man on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video, Universal went ahead and released it in mid-March, way ahead of schedule.

Read on for a list of big Hollywood movies that are coming early to VOD in the U.S., with more sure to follow:

HOW TO MAKE AND RECEIVE PHONE CALLS ON YOUR iPAD OR MAC – For those times when your iPhone isn’t handy, your iPad and Mac can handle phone calls, thanks to a feature known as iPhone Cellular Calls. All you need to do is set up the feature on your phone, and any other compatible Apple devices you want to use.

iPhone Cellular Calls is part of Apple’s Continuity system, which is designed to sync and share certain capabilities across iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, and Mac, and also includes Handoff and Universal Clipboard.

Here’s how to set it up and start taking calls without touching your phone.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PHONE WON’T TURN ON – Has your phone stopped turning on? Here are some troubleshooting tips that can help you get your iPhone or Android device running again.

After paying hundreds of dollars for the tiny computer in your pocket, it can be nerve-wracking to find it won’t turn on. Before you panic-buy a new device, run through a few of these troubleshooting steps to see if it still lives.

FBI RELEASES GUIDANCE ON DEFENDING AGAINST VTC HIJACKING AND ZOOM-BOMBING – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released an article on defending against video-teleconferencing (VTC) hijacking (referred to as “Zoom-bombing” when attacks are to the Zoom VTC platform). Many organizations and individuals are increasingly dependent on VTC platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, to stay connected during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The FBI has released this guidance in response to an increase in reports of VTC hijacking.

HOW TO CONNECT YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD TO YOUR TV – Your iOS devices are great media players, but sometimes you want to watch on a big screen. Here’s how to connect your phone to your TV.

Though phone and tablet screens have grown over the years, sometimes your iPhone or iPad display is just too small. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to connect your Apple device to any recent TV for a bigger-screen media experience. Here’s our guide, from the simplest to the most complex solutions.

Go to this PC Magazine article and get 4 different procedures for connecting the iDevice to your recent TV. https://bit.ly/39EmDlp

APPLE OFFERING SUBSIDIES TO AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR REPAIRS WITH PICKUP AND DROP SERVICE – Amid the COVID-19 situation, Apple is trying to do its part to help people in staying home. It is being reported that the company has decided to offer subsidies to authorized service providers and repair shops to pick up and drop customers’ devices from their homes.

In an internal memo shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers, information has come to light that the Cupertino-based tech giant is offering subsidies on repairs that also include pickups and drops from people’s homes. However, the subsidies are limited to Canada and the US.

Apple said that it would provide a subsidy of $20 for each Apple Watch, Beats, iPad, and iPhone pickup, repair, and drop. The company will offer a subsidy of $25 for each Mac pickup, repair, and drop. The iPhone maker also stressed in the note that “it encourages such arrangements when possible.”

The subsidy program begins today, and Apple has already trained technicians and provided further instructions on how to qualify for subsidies. All of Apple Stores outside of China have been closed due to the pandemic and lockdown situations, and people have been facing problems in getting their Apple products repaired and serviced. Customers are having to turn to Apple Authorized Service Centers for support.

Apple’s subsidy program will definitely help people and technicians in feeling safe. The company’s official website lists all the Apple Authorized Service Centers when you initiate repairs online.

The company has been having problems in the development of its products due to the COVID-19 situation. Apple had to close its stores all over the world and its partners and suppliers had to close factories. It had to postpone the launch of the iPhone 9 and turn WWDC 2020 into an online-only event.

NEW ‘BROADCASTS’ APP LETS YOU LISTEN TO STREAMING RADIO ON THE GO WITH iPHONE, iPAD, AND MAC – Developer Steve Troughton-Smith’s new universal app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, called Broadcasts, is out this week. The app is a new version of his app HCC Radio, which allows users to listen to radio stations on the go now across all three platforms.

Broadcasts App is free for the preset Irish Radio stations, with a $5 in-app purchase for editing features. But as you would expect for an app from Troughton-Smith, it’s fully universal: Buy it on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and you unlock it on all platforms.

You can download Broadcasts on the App Store and learn more about the development process on Steve Troughton-Smith’s blog.

HOW TO DISINFECT YOUR MOUSE AND KEYBOARD – You probably don’t clean your mouse and keyboard very often, but you should. It’s especially important if you share a computer with others. Right now, it could also prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Cleaning your computer peripherals takes virtually no time at all, and it can prevent you and others from getting sick. You can even use the same cleaning tools you use to disinfect your smartphone.

HOW TO SHARE iCLOUD DRIVE FOLDERS ON iPHONE, iPAD, AND MAC – Apple finally added folder-sharing to iCloud Drive with iOS 13.4, iPadOS 13.4, and macOS Catalina 10.15.4. If you were using Dropbox or Google Drive for the sole reason, you can now fully switch to iCloud Drive.

HOW TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR ELECTRONICS – Coronavirus may have you wanting to dunk everything in a vat of bleach, but before you go that route, read our guide to getting your gadgets gleaming. Embrace your inner germaphobe and start scrubbing.

There is spring cleaning and then there is coronavirus cleaning. COVID-19 news has you aware of how many times a day you touch your face, but how about how many times a day you touch your phone and other devices?

You may want to dunk everything into a vat of bleach, but before you go that route, grab some microfiber cloths, cotton swabs, distilled water, isopropyl alcohol, and dish soap and read our guide to getting your gadgets gleaming—after you unplug or turn off, of course. We’ll show you how to disinfect your devices and give everything else a general cleaning.

HOW TO VIEW SAVED WI-FI PASSWORDS – Are you connected to Wi-Fi on one device, but need the password to log in on another one? Here’s how to find Wi-Fi passwords in Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

You’re visiting a friend’s house and you need the Wi-Fi password, but they’re busy. Your laptop is connected from a previous visit, and you just need to connect your phone, so instead of bothering them, you can grab the Wi-Fi password from your already-connected device and type it in on your others. Here’s how.

SOCIAL DISTANCING FOR SENIORS: TECH TO HELP THE ELDERLY THROUGH ISOLATION – The COVID-19 outbreak means we have to social distance and self-isolate, but what about our elderly loved ones? Here are some ways to continue caring for them, even when you can’t be near.

COVID-19 does not discriminate, but the elderly are particularly vulnerable should they contract it. It’s why we’re all social distancing and staying at home; even if we’re asymptomatic, we can still pass the virus to grandma on a quick visit.

But while digital natives are perfectly content to spend hours scrolling through TikToks, binge-watching Netflix, or playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, older people might not be as well-versed in the technology that can keep them busy, connected to loved ones, and stocked up on life’s necessities.

If you have someone in your life you can’t visit but who depends on you for basic essentials and companionship, there are ways technology can help you safely care for them.

Go to this PC Magazine web site and read about all the different ways to stay connected. https://bit.ly/2UM4SeB

HOW TO USE TRACKPAD AND MOUSE SUPPORT IN iPADOS 13.4 – Trackpad support on the iPad is an excellent step at further blurring the line between tablet and computer use. Here’s a look at how to use it in iOS 13.4.

One of the most popular features in iPadOS 13.4 is the introduction of trackpad support. When added to the iPad mouse support that launched last fall, the Apple tablet is ever-closer to becoming a full-fledged computer. Here’s a look at how to activate and use trackpad and mouse support for your iPad.

What Do You Need?

To use a supported trackpad or mouse, you must own an iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 or later, iPad (5th generation) or later, or iPad mini 4 (or later). You must also have iPadOS 13.4 or later installed on your machine.

The trackpad support works with the Apple Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad, and many third-party mice that connect through Bluetooth. In May, Apple’s releasing a new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, which includes both a keyboard and a built-in trackpad. It supports the iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (3rd and 4th generation) and iPad Pro 11‑inch (1st and 2nd generation).

Similar to Google Drive on Android, Apple uses the iCloud platform to backup everything including photos, videos, app data, device settings, and more. The whole process is designed to help keep your data synchronized across Apple devices. However, since iCloud only offers 5GB of free space, most people are going to fill it up in no time. In this post, we will guide you through some of the effective ways to delete the iCloud storage.

The limited storage space on iCloud is going to be an even bigger issue for most people now as Apple has launched iCloud Folder Sharing. This means you can now use iCloud Drive as a true Dropbox alternative and use it to share and sync files with your friends and family.

Limited storage on iCloud will also cause issues with your apps. For example, your WhatsApp backups will start failing if you don’t have enough free storage space on iCloud.

Go to this iPhone Hacks web page and see how to clean up the iCloud storage that is free. https://bit.ly/2w3GCfG

THESE APPS AND SERVICES ARE RESPONDING TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC WITH FREE INFORMATION – A handful of useful applications and services are going free for the coming weeks in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. These include at-home fitness applications, news outlets, and much more. Read below for all of the details.

Go to this 9to5 Mac web site and get the information on Apps that can keep you informed. https://bit.ly/3bCqocn

NEWS PUBLICATIONS REMOVE PAYWALLS – Many news publications are removing their paywalls to make it as easy as possible for readers to stay up to date on the coronavirus pandemic. Some outlets are completely removing their paywalls, while others are removing paywalls specifically on coronavirus stories.

Below are some of the national sources doing so, but be sure to check your local papers as well.

HOW TO CLICK THE HOME BUTTON WITH A MOUSE ON AN iPAD – Apple now lets you control your iPad with a mouse or trackpad, but navigating using a mouse can be cumbersome without the ability to quickly click and go Home. Luckily, there are several ways to access the iPad’s Home screen using only the mouse.

Go to this How-to Geek web site and get the steps and also hints on how to connect your mouse. https://bit.ly/2UNJw0r

HOW TO SEE WHO’S ON YOUR WI-FI – Is your internet sluggish? If you suspect a neighbor is stealing your Wi-Fi, these two apps can help you identify devices using your connection and help you boot them off.

If you suspect a neighbor is stealing your Wi-Fi, here’s how to check (and boot them off).

“So someone’s watching Netflix on my internet,” you may say. “What’s the big deal?” Even if you have a little bandwidth to spare, you probably don’t want other people on your network, especially if it’s unsecured. If someone has access to your network, they have access to all the computers on that network, and that’s dangerous. They could access files you’re unknowingly sharing, they could infect you with malware, and in certain situations they could even steal your passwords and other personal information.

As a result, you should take care to make sure each device connected to your network is one you can trust. Thankfully, there are free tools that’ll help you see everyone on your Wi-Fi right now.

Windows users can download a free, portable program called Wireless Network Watcher (scroll down to the Zip download link below “Feedback” to get it), which will provide a list of every device currently connected to your network, so you can identify the ones that belong to you.

Mac users don’t have as many great options—LanScan is a decent pick, though it costs $6 for the full functionality. Most other apps are either expensive, or have caveats that make them less than ideal. If you’re on a Mac, skip down to the “Get a Second Opinion” section below—your router’s settings page may have the info you need. Or, if you have an iPhone, you can give Fing a try.

12 TIPS TO TROUBLESHOOT YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION – Have a full house of social distancers working, gaming, streaming, and news binging, all at the same time? If you’re experiencing lags, the problem might be on your end. Before you call your ISP, try these easy router tips to get back online.

With the proliferation of smart home devices, online gaming platforms, and video-streaming services, maintaining a strong internet connection is more important than ever. If you’re experiencing lag while playing League of Legends, or it takes forever to download music, there’s a good chance the problem is on your end and not an issue with your internet service provider (ISP).

Before you schedule a service call with your cable company, check out our tips for troubleshooting your internet connection.

HOW TO ACCESS YOUR WI-FI ROUTER’S SETTINGS – Here’s how to change a home Wi-Fi network’s name, password, and other elements.

Your router stores the settings for your home Wi-Fi network. If you want to change something on your network, you have to log into your router’s software, also known as firmware. From there, you can rename your network, modify the password, adjust the security level, create a guest network, and set up or alter a variety of other options. But how do you first get into your router to make those changes?

The process for logging into your router should be the same whether you use your internet provider’s router or you purchased your own router. It should also be the same whether you use a dedicated router or a combination modem/router supplied by your provider.

HOW DO I SEND THE CORONAVIRUS EMOJI? – HOW DO I SEND THE MICROBE EMOJI? – Obviously there is no official coronavirus (COVID-19) emoji, but people have been using “microbe” as a replacement. You can find the microbe emoji on your iOS keyboard by tapping the smiley face button located below the “123” key. It is located under “objects” which you can quickly access by tapping the lightbulb icon on the emoji keyboard menu.

To send even quicker, just type “microbe” in the message line then tap the smiley face icon. Tap the orange ‘microbe’ text (you just typed) to replace it with microbe emoji and tap the blue arrow to send.

HOW CAN I TRACK THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) OR ANY INFECTIOUS DISEASE ON MY iPHONE? – Both the CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization) have apps on the Apple App Store.

The CDC app includes the most up to date health information from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

The Who Info app includes WHO news, stories, factsheets and disease outbreak updates.

Both the CDC app and >Who Info currently feature information about the 2020 coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreak around the world.

The CDC app is recommended over the WHO app. It features information on the virus, tips if you’re feeling sick, how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and more.

For the coronavirus exclusively, you can download the HEALTHLYNKED COVID-19 Tracker. ( https://apple.co/33STm5a) This app includes an “Infected,” “Recovered” and “Deaths” trackers, a COVID-19 map, a curated COVID-19 Twitter feed, and a chat. The COVID-19 tracker breaks down WHO confirmed cases, deaths and self-reported positive cases.

BEST FOOD DELIVERY APPS FOR iPHONE AND iPAD – Ordering food from your favorite restaurant has never been easier. Deliveries can be tracked in real-time as they are dropped at your doorstep hot and fresh. Just grab the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and browse the menu in comfort. Even paying the bill is effortless, with charges and tips for the driver going straight to a credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay. There are many food delivery apps to choose from, but some restaurants only deal with one online system.

APPLE SUPPORT DOCUMENTS HELP YOU SETUP AND USE BLUETOOTH MOUSE/TRACKPAD WITH iPAD – Apple has come up with new support documents that explain how to connect and use a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad with an iPad. The procedure detailed in the support documents will work across new iPad Pro models, iPad Air 2 or upwards, fifth-gen iPad and the iPad mini 4 or upwards.

On the software front, the device needs to be running iPadOS 13.4 which was released a couple of days ago. According to the support documents you can not only use Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad 2, and Magic Mouse 2 but also third-party options like Logitech’s new trackpad keyboard.

The support documents outline how to Navigate your iPad, Adjust Trackpad settings, Adjust mouse settings, Customize the cursor, and connect/disconnect Bluetooth mouse or trackpad. Meanwhile, Apple is rumored to launch a Magic Keyboard case with the built-in trackpad which will support newer iPad Pro models. Furthermore, the Magic Keyboard is expected to cost as much as $299 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $349 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Apple recently launched the 2020 iPad Pro comes with Apple’s A12Z Bionic chip which features an eight-core GPU, eight-core CPU, and a Neural Engine. Apple has also improved thermal management for further performance improvement. The company says that its A12Z Bionic chip makes the iPad Pro “faster and more powerful than most Windows PC laptops.” Apple claims the iPad Pro can last up to 10 hours on a single charge. It also offers Wi-Fi 6 and gigabit LTE support for faster downloads.

THE BEST iPAD PRO (2020) TIPS AND TRICKS – Apple’s 2020 iPad Pro lineup has gone on sale today in major markets across the world. This time around, Apple has focused more on refining its iPad Pro lineup rather than doing something dramatically different. If you have ordered the 2020 iPad Pro or plan on getting one soon, check out some of the best tips and tricks for it to get the most out of it.

Apple is offering more value with its iPad Pro lineup this time rather than focusing on outright performance and other changes. It has upgraded the base storage to 128GB while keeping the price tag intact. The new tablets also come with a more powerful A12Z Bionic chip and still offer up to 10 hours of battery life. You are definitely not going to regret spending your hard-earned money on the new 2020 iPad Pro.

The below tips and tricks will help you use your new iPad Pro — be it the 11-inch or the 12.9-inch model — to the fullest and discover some hidden and useful features of them.

HOW TO USE ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT TO KILL CORONAVIRUS ON YOUR iPHONE – We’ve already gone over Apple’s new recommendation for how to sanitize your smartphone and other devices with Clorox Wipes or similar wipes with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol. Now, let’s talk about another option, using ultraviolet light as a disinfectant and sanitizer. We have three different options for people looking to kill bacteria, viruses, and other microbiology on their iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Mac, and even Apple TV remote to prevent COVID-19. Some of these items are on our person nearly all the time, especially the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, and therefore have more bacteria and viruses on them than the average toilet seat. Let’s cover how to sanitize your cell phone, tablet, earbuds, smartwatch, and other Apple devices.

According to the Journal of Hospital Infection, viruses can stay on solid surfaces like plastic, ceramics, and glass for up to nine days. If you’d like a way to sanitize your Apple devices safely, the solution is ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light, specifically UV-C light, can kill bacteria within thirty seconds from a distance of six inches and viruses within three minutes. UV-C light can temporarily damage eyes and skin, so be sure to wear safety glasses and cover up as needed, depending on the device you choose. Here are three ways to use UV-C light to sanitize your Apple devices.

PREVENT CORONAVIRUS: CLEAN & SANITIZE YOUR iPHONE & OTHER APPLE DEVICES – I rarely write a tip that will impact people’s health, but learning how to clean and sanitize your Apple devices, including your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Mac, and even Apple TV remote, is part of how to prevent coronavirus. Some of these items are on our person nearly all the time, especially the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, and therefore have more bacteria and viruses on them than the average toilet seat. Apple has recently changed their cleaning guidelines, so let’s go over how to sanitize your cellphone, tablet, earbuds, smartwatch, and other Apple devices.

HOW TO SCAN A DOCUMENT IN THE iPHONE FILES APP – Want to scan a document on the iPhone? Your Files app can be used as a document scanner where you can scan and save documents to your iPhone and iCloud. Using the Files app to scan a document on the iPhone helps keep you organized by scanning, saving, and marking up documents from one location. Here’s how to scan a document on the iPhone using the Files app.

GOOGLE PODCASTS COMES TO iOS – Recently, Google overhauled its Android Google Podcasts app, but the company had more in mind. Now, to complement that Android overhaul, Google released its app on iOS. The two apps mirror each other almost perfectly, which is excellent if you like to keep your podcasts in sync across multiple devices.

If you already use Google Podcasts on Android (or the web), then you should already know what to expect. You’ll get the familiar Home, Explore, and Activity screens that were part of the app’s recent overhaul.

The iOS app is available starting on March 25, and if you don’t see the updated Android version, Google promises to finish rolling it out over the next week. It’s an app meant for iPhone, but you could install it on an iPad too if you really want.

HOW TO USE A MOUSE WITH iPADOS 13.4– With iPadOS 13.4 Apple finally gives its market-leading tablets the main thing that held them back from being truly high-powered productivity tools: Mouse and trackpad support. The previous version did give the products limited pointing device support for accessibility use, but, with version 13.4, we get full input support. The iPad’s newfound mouse support works very well—with some limitations.

GOOGLE SEARCH AND MAPS NOW SHOW ‘TEMPORARILY CLOSED’ BUSINESSES – Governments around the world are asking people to stay at home and for all but essential businesses to close their doors. Now Google has made it easier to find out which businesses are closed temporarily using Search and Maps. n an blog post last week, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said that a new “temporarily closed” option would become available for business owners. Pichai explained, “With so many disruptions to daily life, people are looking for more information about school or business closures. Based on data from governments and other authoritative sources, Google Search and Maps will now display if a place, like a school or local business, is temporarily closed.”

THESE COMMON HOME APPLIANCES CAN DRAMATICALLY SLOW DOWN YOUR INTERNET SPEED – This ZDNet article has some practical guidelines for improving your Internet speeds. https://zd.net/2QROjg3

March 21, 2020

HOW TO CONNECT YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD TO YOUR TV – Try these options when you want to view iPhone or iPad content on a bigger screen.

How to connect your iPhone to your TV

When you’re trying to show off videos, photos, and other visual content from your iPhone or iPad, there are too many times when the small screen just won’t do. Fortunately, you can connect those devices to your big-screen TV through several different methods.

You don’t even need a fancy smart TV to do it. We’ll show you several easy methods for screen mirroring, ranging from using a basic HDMI adapter to sophisticated wireless streaming.

Still, mirroring can be useful if you want to replay videos you’ve recorded on the device, display your photo library, present a slideshow, communally browse social media, or show off your iOS gaming skills on the TV screen. Read on for instructions on how to do that.

HOW TO MAKE FREE CONFERENCE CALLS ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – Video conferencing is not always the best option when trying to hold a meeting with a lot of people. Services like Skype can lag, have audio problems and sometimes you just don’t want to stare at each other. FreeConferenceCall.com offers a free service whose goal is to “make sure charities, volunteers, and students all over the world have access to world class communication tools.” The free app allows iPhone and iPad users to make free HD audio conference calls with up to 1,000 participants.

FreeConferenceCall uses the pay what you think is fair model. Users can decide how much they think the service is worth and pay accordingly. The suggested amount is $4 a month, but you can choose to pay more or less. This allows others who can’t afford to pay for conferencing software the ability to connect all over the world.

The app allows you to skip over dial-in numbers and access codes which are a requirement if you sign up through the website. International calls do however require a dedicated dial-in number. Although international conferencing is still free in up to 65 countries.

FreeConferenceCall includes a variety of one-touch conferencing tools such as mute, record, lock, view participants, meeting invitations and the ability to save and store existing accounts. The app also offers free HD video conferencing and screen sharing, if you decide you want to go the visual route.

The Free Conference Call app is available for free download on the Apple App Store. It is compatible with all devices running iOS 9.0 or later.

BEST VIDEO CHAT APPS FOR iPHONE AND iPAD – Thanks to mobile devices and global data networks, keeping in touch with friends, family, and co-workers is easier than ever. Video phones were once the stuff of science fiction. Nowadays, video calls can be connected from almost anywhere, and it’s the next-best thing to meeting in person.

March 17, 2020

HOW TO DISINFECT AND CLEAN YOUR PHONE – Smartphones are notoriously dirty. Studies show a typical cell phone can have more bacteria on its surface than a toilet. Preventing the spread of infection has taken on new importance with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 sweeping the globe. Disinfecting your iPhone is an important preventive measure to reduce the risk of infection from bacteria and viruses that linger on your mobile device. Proper hand washing may be the first line of defense, but a lean phone can be just as important.

After all, our smartphones are touched constantly during the day, and even held up to our faces when making a call. There are several ways to safely disinfect your iPhone, iPad, or other mobile device. The key to preventing scratches and removing dirt is to use a lint-free microfiber cloth. Products such as the 3M Microfiber Cleaning Cloth are themselves washable and will remove grime while protecting the screen and other surfaces of the iPhone.

TIPS FOR CONTROL CENTER ON iPHONE – Control Center is one of the most useful tools on the iPhone and iPad. First introduced in with iOS 13, the tool gives you direct access to essential settings on your device from one location. With customization, you can adjust Control Center to only include specific settings that match your needs.

In this article, you’ll learn more about Control Center and how to use it, plus access some useful tips.

GROOVYTIP: CLOSE SAFARI TABS AUTOMATICALLY DAILY, WEEKLY, OR MONTHLY – There are two types of people: (1) those who, at any given moment, have like fifty browser tabs open to the point where each one just has the first letter and “…” in the title and (2) good, decent people.

I kid, of course. I can live with people like that. In fact, I married one and that’s not even the worst thing she does (she bites popsicles). But here’s the thing: If this is you—with your dozens upon dozens of open browser tabs arranged like a house of cards that will bring your world crumbling down if, say, for example, your spouse borrows your computer to write a groovyPost article and accidentally closes the window—then you know deep down that this isn’t the way to live. All of those tabs are clutter, open loops, unfinished business and c’mon, haven’t you heard of bookmarks?!

Anyway, end rant. You’re here because you want to change and I’m here to celebrate that, not shame you. And as a bonus, I’ll give you a tip.

In Safari, there’s a setting that automatically closes your tabs for you?

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DEEP WEB AND DARK WEB – You’ve heard the terms Dark Web and Deep Web but did you know there is a difference? Here’s a look at the comparison between the two.

There are aspects of the internet, not nearly as familiar as others. Two of these, the so-called dark web and deep web, sound the same but are very different. Where one has mostly been designed for positive reasons, the other is much more nefarious. Here’s a look at the differences between the two.

Deep Web Vs. Dark Web

Before moving forward, understand that the deep web is just one part of the dark web. In general terms, the latter refers to any website or page that’s not registered with a search engine, such as Google or Bing. The former includes a mix of criminal enterprises and privacy tools. Each is mostly untraceable by individuals and governments alike.

WHAT IS AN IP ADDRESS? – An IP address is one of the most essential building blocks of the internet. It’s a unique identifier that computers use to transmit information across the web.

An IP address is one of the most essential building blocks of the internet. IP is an abbreviation for TCP/IP, which stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.

This “protocol” is the method computers use to transmit information across the internet. It requires every device on the network to have its own unique identifier. This way, when you type a URL into a browser, that browser can determine what device on the internet contains the information (web page) you want. This unique identifier is an IP Address.

CAN I USE HAND SANITIZER TO CLEAN OR DISINFECT MY iPHONE OR iPAD? – I’m concerned about disinfecting my iPhone or iPad, but worried that using liquid or foam hand sanitizer might damage my device. Is it safe to use hand sanitizer to clean my iPhone?

Because the formulations of hand sanitizers vary so widely and often aren’t disclosed, there are better methods for disinfecting your iPhone. Due to coronavirus / COVID-19 fueling concerns about how to disinfect all types of personal items, Apple has released updated guidance on cleaning your devices that indicates that everyday disinfectant wipes like Clorox Disinfecting Wipes or Lysol Disinfectant Wipes (without bleach) can be used to clean iPhones and iPads without damaging those devices.

HOW TO USE INSTANT NOTES ON iPHONE AND iPAD – Ever wanted to take a quick note or jot down a number on your iPhone? Unlocking the phone and then going through the Notes app to add the note can be a lengthy process. Samsung leverages S-Pen to let Galaxy Note users add notes from the lock screen. Apple has a different solution to offer. The company has added Instant Notes feature to iOS 13 to you access recently viewed notes or create a new one from the lock screen of your iPhone using the Control Center.

Using the Instant Notes trick, one can quickly take a new note from basically any interface of the operating system. In this post, we will guide you through steps to enable the feature and talk about its functions. Let’s get started.

If you have deleted the Apple Notes app from the device then you need to re-download it.

HOW TO GROUP FACETIME ON AN iPHONE – Sometimes you want to see everyone you’re speaking to on your iPhone group calls. Whether you’re using FaceTime with your friends, your family, or your co-workers, Apple makes group FaceTime calls easy to start and easy to add people to your call. Here are your updated instructions for how to group FaceTime in iOS 13.

How to Group FaceTime

There are several ways to enjoy group FaceTime. You can make a call from FaceTime and add contacts, you can make a FaceTime call from the message app, you can add a person to an existing group call, and you can join a FaceTime group call.

Go to this iPhone Life web site and get the procedure with screenshots.

HOW TO OPEN MULTIPLE WINDOWS OF THE SAME iPAD APP – We’ve had Split View and Slide Over for a while now, allowing us to work in more than one app at a time. Now, users can also work in more instances of the same app in different windows. This is great if you’re organizing the folders in your Files app working on a large project in Pages, but how does it work, exactly? This tip explains what it means to run multiple windows of the same app. Read on to learn how to open the same app in a new window on the iPad.

Running Multiple Windows of an App on the iPad

You probably already know that you can use Split View and Slide Over to multitask in an active app. Now, with a new feature called App Exposé, you can also open multiple windows of an app at the same time.

TAKE A SCREENSHOT ON THE iPAD PRO, PLUS OLDER MODELS WITH A HOME BUTTON – You can easily take a screenshot on your iPad, whether you have an iPad Pro or an older model. Whether or not your iPad has a Home button, this tip will teach you how to take iPad screenshots using your iPad’s physical buttons. A screenshot is a great way to capture information on the internet, such as a favorite recipe or the current score, as well as fond memories like texts from the grandchildren. Let’s dive in with how to take screenshots an iPad.

HOW TO VIEW PASSWORDS IN ICLOUD KEYCHAIN ON IPHONE, IPAD, OR MAC – If you use an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and MacBook, or a combination of any of these devices on a daily basis, you are heavily invested in Apple’s ecosystem. The good thing about Apple’s ecosystem is that it makes the transition between devices seamless. So, any login or payment details that you save in iCloud Keychain on your iPhone are automatically synced to your iPhone and iPad as well.

While iCloud Keychain has been around for a few years, Apple has greatly improved its capability in recent years. In many ways, the service can now act as a potential replacement for password managers like LastPass and 1Password for many.

To find out more, go to this iPhone Hacks web page and read about it with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2GqN69T

HOW TO QUICKLY NAVIGATE TO HOME OR WORK ON YOUR IPHONE WITH GOOGLE MAPS – If you use Google Maps as your default Maps app on your iPhone, then here is a nifty little trick to quickly get directions to navigate to Home or Work on your iPhone. It allows you to get directions to your Home or Work address on your iPhone with just three taps using Google Maps. It saves you the trouble of typing the address and getting directions faster.

EMBRACE THESE NEW APPLE MAPS FEATURES IN IOS 13 – When it comes to navigation people tend to think Google Maps first. But Apple Maps in iOS 13 has improved and includes new features that make it worth a second look.

The native Maps app on the iPhone has often lagged behind Google Maps in terms of features. That’s slowly changing with each new iOS release. In iOS 13, Apple has added two useful features for those who like to plan trips for business or pleasure.

Favorites and CollectionsIn iOS 13 (and iPadOS 13 for iPad), Apple has added the ability to create favorites and collections in the official Maps app. Favorites are often-visited spots such as your business, local shopping center or restaurant, or residence. Favorites spots are identified in the Maps app with the amount of travel time to that location and suggested routes.

Collections, by contrast, are for travel planners who want to learn more about a city. Once in the city, you can use the Maps collection to get around the city and visit its most popular sites with ease.

LOCATION TRACKING REMINDER ON IOS 13 HAS EFFECTIVELY REDUCED LOCATION DATA COLLECTION – Apple has been taking flak for some privacy issues on iOS 13, ever since it was launched last year. The most predominant issue was that iOS 13 allowed third-party apps to access location data in the background.

As expected Apple fixed the issue with a new location reminder feature and apparently it seems to be working. The new feature alerts iOS 13 users with a notification whenever the third-party apps try to collect location data in the background. That’s not all, the feature also displays a map of the locations and gives you three options including “Change to Only While Using,” “Always Allow” and “Just Once.”

Location Sciences, a firm that works on analyzing location data says that background location data has declined by 68 percent while the foreground data collection has plunged by 24 percent. Foreground data is the data collected when the app is open. Another report affirms the drop and says that third-party apps are seeing opt-in rates of less than 50 percent now. Opt-in is when the user explicitly gives permission for the app to collect location data.

Needless to say, the drop in location data is due to the new privacy features. That being said, the location data that was being collected earlier was not organic and bound to drop sooner or later. Thankfully, Apple has taken cognizance of the issue and fixed it with an intuitive pop-up. Apple is one of the few companies that take privacy seriously. They have been putting their foot down when it comes to creating an iPhone backdoor for government agencies.

While it comes as a sign of relief for iPhone users, the developers are upset. They claim that Apple’s new location tracking reminder feature pops up too often and might hinder the adoption of their apps.

HOW TO ADD LINE NUMBERS TO A MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT – Adding line numbers to a Microsoft Word document can help you point others to exact positions within it, especially in documents with multiple pages. Here’s how to quickly add line numbers in Word.

These instructions should work for recent Office versions (from 2010 onwards). Before you begin, note that Word will treat tables and text boxes as if they’re on a single line, regardless of how large they are.

HOW TO CHANGE THE FONT IN THE MAIL APP ON YOUR IPHONE – We’ve written about how to change the font in the Safari browser on your iPhone or iPad, both the type and size. Now it’s also possible to change fonts in the Mail app by choosing between other pre-installed fonts, although the option isn’t easy to find. Let’s get started learning how to get different fonts in your iPhone’s Mail app.

IPHONE BATTERY YELLOW? HOW TO TURN LOW POWER MODE OFF & ON – Whether your iPhone is on Lock Screen, one of your Home screens, or you have an app open, you’ll see your iPhone battery icon in the upper-right corner of your screen. You may be wondering, though, “Why is my iPhone battery yellow?” Don’t worry; nothing is wrong with your phone. The yellow battery icon just means that your iPhone is in Low Power Mode, a power-saving feature that kicks in when your battery needs to be charged. Let’s learn about Low Power Mode, including when it’s set to turn on and off automatically, and how to turn it off and on manually.

HOW TO FIND YOUR IPHONE EVEN IF IT’S DEAD OR OFFLINE (UPDATED FOR 2020) – If you need to find and track a lost iPhone, using the Find My app to locate your iPhone is the easiest method. If you’ve enabled the Find My iPhone feature in the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, you can use Find My to locate the missing device, even if it’s powered down or the battery’s dead. Here’s how to find your iPhone when it’s lost, whether it’s offline, dead, or even if you don’t have Find My enabled for the iPhone.

HOW TO DELETE APPS ON YOUR IPHONE OR iPAD IN iOS 13 – In iOS 13, Apple changed the way you delete an app on your iPhone’s and iPad’s home screen. You can still use the “X” on a jiggling app icon to delete that app, but there’s an extra step to get there if you’re running iOS prior to 13.2.

However, there are multiple ways to delete apps in iOS 13 and today we cover all those ways.

THE BEST WAYS TO PRINT PHOTOS FROM YOUR PHONE – Your phone has an amazing camera, and you’ve used it to capture some special moments. But let’s be honest, there’s nothing like a printed photo. Thankfully, there’s a ton of cheap and easy ways to print photos directly from your phone—no computer necessary.

Go to this How-to Geek web site and read about the different ways to get that picture in a printout. http://bit.ly/2FGiPn1

HOW TO ADD A WEBSITE TO YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD HOME SCREEN – Usually, you think of the home screen on your iPhone or iPad as the place where your apps reside. But you can add websites there, too.

The home screen on your iPhone or iPad isn’t just a place where your apps live. You can also add shortcuts to websites. And in some cases, the website shortcut is sufficient in lieu of installing the full app.

There are plenty of apps that you need to install to get things done on your iPhone or iPad. But have you thought about using a website as an app on your device? Most apps provide extra features and abilities that a website can’t. But if you just need the basic features that the web version offers, or want to check a favorite webpage, just add it to the home screen.

For example, on my iPhone, I just need to check my PayPal balance and maybe move some money around. And I don’t need to install the full YouTube app and all its features. And certainly don’t need to install the official Minnesota Vikings app just to keep up with the team.

HOW TO USE APPLE ID TO CREATE PASSWORDS FOR YOUR APPS – Apple ID lets you create up to 25 app-specific passwords for third-party apps.

Apple upped its account security for Apple IDs years ago to prevent unwanted and unauthorized third-party access to all your information. Apple relies on Apple ID across all its software and services, but third-party software can only gain access to three kinds of data: email, contacts, and events.

Apple requires web-connected and native mobile or desktop software—on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and others—that want to use any of those three kinds of data to use a special kind of access. You create a so-called app-specific password for each piece of software to which you want to grant access.

January 8, 2020

HOW TO CHANGE THE PAPER SIZE IN MICROSOFT WORD – Documents come in different shapes and sizes, like legal or brochure. In Word, you can change the paper size to fit the type of document you’re working on or change the default paper size for all new documents. We’ll walk you through it!

HOW TO RENAME FAVORITES IN APPLE MAPS – The Favorites feature in Apple Maps gives you one-tap access to locations you frequently visit. But what if you don’t want to see the names of apartment buildings or townships? Here’s how you can customize and rename your favorite locations using your iPhone.

7 NEW TRICKS iOS 13 ADDS TO APPLE MESSAGES – Apple’s iOS 13 and iPadOS add new and improved talents to the default messaging app, including name and photo sharing, beefier search options, and more.

The Messages app has long been a mainstay on the iPhone and iPad as the default way Apple would like you to send and receive text messages. Though Apple has continually improved the app with each update of iOS and now iPadOS, at its core, Messages provides a clean and simple way to exchange texts with other people.

The update to iOS 13 added several new features that enhance the app in subtle but useful ways. You can now set up how to share your name and photo with fellow texters. You can more easily search for texts, contacts, photos, links, and other information. And Apple offers more ways to customize your memoji, which can then be turned into custom stickers for use in Messenger.

Upgrade to iOS 13.2 or higher, and Siri can announce new messages with certain earbuds and headphones. You can also take advantage of the new swipe QuickPath keyboard to type more quickly.

Go to this PC Magazine article and you will see seven different tricks with texting on a iPhone or iPad. http://bit.ly/2N3IytT

10 WAYS TO TIDY UP YOUR PHONES AND PCS FOR THE NEW YEAR – Organize your phone, tablet, and computer with these quick and easy tips from productivity expert Jill Duffy. Investing just a little time here at the beginning of the year could make a big difference for all of 2020.

Many of us spend far too much time on our phones and PCs, and it doubtless got worse over the holidays. Sure, you could try to do the digital detox equivalent of Dry January to cut your screen time down, but for most people, that’s not a realistic option. One thing you can do is organize your devices, streamlining them so that you can at least get things done more quickly. And while you’re doing that, you might as well do all the other things you’ve been putting off, like backing up your photos and tightening up your security. Now that the holidays are over and we’re getting back to real life, it’s time to focus on being productive again, and cleaning up your devices is an excellent way to start.

Here are 10 recommended tidying tasks for your devices to start the New Year on the right foot.

Go to this PC Magazine article and get the list of things you can do to any smartphone and the PC. http://bit.ly/39Qw02D

HOW TO CONNECT YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD TO A SECURED WI-FI NETWORK WITHOUT A PASSWORD – It’s all about proximity and Contacts.

It can be a drag to obtain and enter the Wi-Fi network password for an otherwise free and publicly available network—or even the network at a friend’s house or colleague’s place of work. With an iPhone or iPad running iOS 11 or later, you can avoid entering a password altogether if someone you know is nearby.

A whopping six conditions have to be met, which seems like a lot. However, each of these is straightforward:

Both devices must have iOS 11

You both must have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled.

The email address used for your Apple ID has to be in their Contacts list.

Their device must be unlocked.

The network must use simple WPA2 Personal (password only) networking.

The other person must have already connected to the network.

Here’s the steps to share a password:

Tap the network you want to join on your iPhone or iPad.

Your friend, relative, or colleague will see a prompt to share their password. They tap Share Password.

The password is securely transmitted to your device, which joins the network.

A special sharing pop-over appears in iOS, iPadOS to let you share a Wi-Fi password securely with an iPhone or an iPad.

HOW TO ENABLE READER VIEW AUTOMATICALLY FOR WEBSITES IN MOBILE AND DESKTOP SAFARI – Reader View offers a stripped-down, more controllable reading experience.

Many websites (including this one) have sidebars, overlays, auto-playing videos, and other distractions—as well as text in a size you may find too small to read. Reader View is Safari’s way to override the parameters most sites have set to produce a simplified stream of text for which you can adjust the size.

You can enable Reader View easily enough:

In iOS and iPadOS, a little A/big A icon appears at the far left of the location bar. Long press it to enable Reader View.

Go to this MacWorld article and get the procedures to enable Readers View on the iDevice.

REMEMBER TO DELETE AND UNLINK YOUR ACCOUNTS BEFORE DELETING AN APP – Deleting an app from your smartphone takes mere seconds, but you need to do more than just uninstall the app if you’re trying to remove your data or stop it from accessing other accounts—which some apps continue to do long after they’ve left your phone. To prevent this, make sure you delete/unlink your account and any data that it might contain before uninstalling an app. Here are some tips to make sure you make a clean break from apps you no longer want to use.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 5G AND 5GHZ WI-FI? – 5G and 5 GHz Wi-Fi are both used for wireless connectivity, but they don’t have anything else in common. Anyone referring to “5G Wi-Fi” actually means 5 GHz Wi-Fi, which is different from the 5G cellular standard.

HOW TO GET DRIVING DIRECTIONS ON YOUR APPLE WATCH – Gone are the days of using paper maps to navigate unknown roads and cities. Now, we have smart devices placing navigational tools on wrists and in our pockets. This guide shows how to get driving directions on your Apple Watch.

If you’re a fan of Google Maps, you won’t find it on Apple’s smartwatch. Google dropped support in 2017, though you can still use Google Maps in CarPlay, iOS, and iPadOS.

Apple Maps is a great alternative that works across all Apple-made devices. On the Apple Watch, it’s represented as a white arrow pointing up captured within a blue circle. This circle resides over an intersection on a map in the app icon’s background.

HOW TO ADD A WEBSITE TO YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD HOME SCREEN – Usually, you think of the home screen on your iPhone or iPad as the place where your apps reside. But you can add websites there, too.

The home screen on your iPhone or iPad isn’t just a place where your apps live. You can also add shortcuts to websites. And in some cases, the website shortcut is sufficient in lieu of installing the full app.

There are plenty of apps that you need to install to get things done on your iPhone or iPad. But have you thought about using a website as an app on your device? Most apps provide extra features and abilities that a website can’t. But if you just need the basic features that the web version offers, or want to check a favorite webpage, just add it to the home screen.

For example, on my iPhone, I just need to check my PayPal balance and maybe move some money around. And I don’t need to install the full YouTube app and all its features. And certainly don’t need to install the official Minnesota Vikings app just to keep up with the team.

Browsing slowing to a crawl, the inability to stream, dropped Wi-Fi signals, wireless dead zones—every one of these problems is maddening in a world where getting online has become, for some, as necessary as breathing. (Well, maybe not that critical…but important.)

If you feel like your Wi-Fi has gotten sluggish, there are many tools you can use to test the speed of your internet. However, if the only way you can get decent reception is by standing next to your wireless router, these simple tips can help optimize your network.

iPHONE: HOW TO REMOVE LOCATION DATA FROM PHOTOS AND VIDEOS BEFORE SHARING – Need to share some photos or videos but want to retain a bit more privacy than normal? Follow along for how to remove location data from photos and videos on iPhone before sharing.

iOS includes a handy toggle to quickly turn off location details as well as other metadata before you send photos and vbideos from iPhone and iPad.

Keep in mind that this is a per-share basis so you’ll need to do the same process each time you ant to turn off location data.

Note: the same steps work on iPad

Open the Photos app on iPhone or iPad

Choose the photo(s) or video(s) you’d like to share

Tap the share button (square with up arrow, bottom left corner on iPhone, top right corner on iPad.

At the top, tap Options

Tap the toggle next to Location to turn it off, tap Done (top right corner)

Choose how you’d like to share and send your photo(s)/video(s)

iPHONE: 5 TIPS TO DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE APPS, EMAILS, MESSAGES, PHOTOS, AND MORE – Over the course of a year, apps, emails, messages, photos, and more naturally pile up. Ready to hit the reset button on your iPhone’s organization? Read along for 5 ways to organze and declutter iPhone including some easy (and advanced) automation for a better everyday experience and boosted efficiency.

HOW TO SHARE YOUR MAC’S SCREEN WITH ANOTHER MAC – Because Macs have built-in screen-sharing, you can share your screen with another Mac over your local network via the integrated VNC server, or over the internet via iMessage. Third-party apps, like TeamViewer, work on both macOS and Windows, too. There are three options you can choose from to successfully share your screen, view another person’s screen, or control a remote Mac.

Learn about the three options by reading this How-To Geek article, with screenshots.

10 EASY TIPS FOR TAKING THE BEST PICTURES ON iPHONE– Apple iPhone has become the most popular camera in the world and one that gets better with each new hardware and software release. Taking photos with an iPhone is a somewhat simple process. To move your iPhone photo-taking to a new level, consider these easy groovyPost tips. http://bit.ly/37kGOUD

GET READY FOR AN ALL-NEW EDGE BROWSER – Major changes coming to Microsoft Edge. The built-in default browser for Windows 10 hasn’t proved to be very popular. Edge accounts for just over 5% of Internet traffic compared to Google Chrome’s 67%. Microsoft decided to rebuild Edge from the ground up into a totally new browser. A browser based on Chromium, the same platform used for Google Chrome.

The new and hopefully improved Edge has been available for preview for quite some time, but it will finally be available to everyone starting on January 15 of 2020. Read more at this Cyn Mackley Tech Tip: http://bit.ly/37menpA

HOW TO GET HEALTHY WITH YOUR APPLE WATCH– Apple has often promoted the health-related abilities of the Apple Watch. Its September press event featured video testimonials from people who say the smartwatch saved or improved their lives, and each new version of the Apple Watch introduces apps and options designed with health in mind. Read more at this PC Mag article: http://bit.ly/2tYxMyd

ENABLE FIND MY ON YOUR MAC– Apple’s “Find My Mac” feature has been around for some time. When activated, this feature allows you to find your lost or stolen computer if it’s switched on and connected to the Internet.

Thanks to a recent update, thieves no longer have to go online for you to locate your computer. With the recent update of the ‘Find My Mac” feature to “Find My,” you’ll be able to track down your device even if it’s asleep or offline.

Your device will now send out Bluetooth beacons, which are small bits of data. Read Cyn Mackley’s tech tip on how to set it up. http://bit.ly/2Q8OWlG

Some people think their iPhone apps are only “organized” when they’re in a certain order from left to right, or top to bottom. I disagree. The best way to arrange your apps is to put the ones you use the most within easy reach of your fingers. Get Organized Bug ArtAs for how to deal with the rest of your apps, I have a few strategies you can use to arrange them in a way that makes sense while also keeping your screens neat. When relevant, there’s a brief how-to next to the tip. These tips also work for the iPad, though finger-reach is usually a more pressing issue on smaller devices.

HOW TO DISABLE WEB NOTIFICATIONS – Wishing you could receive fewer notifications from your browser? There are ways to control push notifications and block the pop-ups you don’t want.

How to Turn Off Browser Notifications

Interruptions on the internet take many forms, from pop-up windows and browser notifications to video ads and page overlays. Pop-ups are largely seen as a nuisance—they sit atop the web page you’re reading, with an ad, video, or message—but notifications have their benefits (in moderation).

Notifications appear in the browser, dropping down from the URL bar to ask whether or not a website can use your location or send you notifications. Autoplay videos are usually sent from specific websites and interrupt your browsing experience. Push notifications are sent from specific services—like Slack, Twitter, or Facebook—and temporarily display over whatever window you have open. Luckily, major browser makers have tools to make certain alerts less invasive.

Go to this PC Magazine article and find out what you need to know to keep these notifications and pop-ups in check with Safari, Apples Browser. http://bit.ly/32Zcc8Q

HOW TO DELETE YOUR SIRI HISTORY FROM IPHONE, IPAD, MAC AND APPLE TV – Apple keeps track of your Siri voice interactions. But the company has put new privacy policies in place and here we show you how to delete your Siri history.

One of the ways voice assistants such as Apple’s Siri and Amazon Alexa get better is by keeping historical data from users for testing purposes. With the demand for privacy growing, companies have been forced to make it easier for users to block this data from being maintained. Recently Apple has implemented a new policy that lets you delete Siri and Dictation data by device and also opt-out of sending this type of personal data to the company. Note that deleting data is a manual process, and you need to opt-out on a device-to-device basis. Here’s how to do it.

IPHONE STORAGE FULL? HOW TO CREATE FREE SPACE ON IOS – Depending on whether you get the base model or the Pro, the latest iPhone models come with a maximum of 256GB or 512GB of storage. Why, then, do we still need to solve the “iPhone Storage Full” problem?

The usual culprits are photos, 4K videos, games, and other digital hoarding habits. You can’t upgrade an iPhone’s storage. That leaves you with three choices—buy a bigger phone, get more cloud storage, or create free space on your iPhone.

The first two don’t work if you want to free up space right now. So let’s look at the ways to free up storage space with a bit of iOS jugglery.

Note: You should make a backup of your device with iTunes before you do anything major, like deleting photos or videos. We cover this below.

HOW TO SET UP DARK MODE ON YOUR FAVORITE APPS – Looking to give your eyes a break? Dark mode swaps white backgrounds for grays and blacks. Here’s how to enable dark mode in all your favorite apps.

We spend a good portion of our day staring at screens. US adults looked at mobile devices for an average of 3 hours, 35 minutes per day in 2018, according to eMarketer, which predicts that time spent on mobile will surpass TV in 2019.

All that bright light streaming into your eyeballs isn’t great. Blue light can disrupt sleep, confusing your brain about what time of day it is. Giving up mobile devices isn’t really an option for most people, though, so many of us opt for a dark mode, which swaps white backgrounds for grays and blacks.

Not all apps offer an official dark mode; some just have night themes that only work under certain conditions. Google Maps, for instance, has a night theme while navigating, but it doesn’t work in the full app.

Meanwhile, Firefox, Gmail, and the Windows 10 Mail app allow for custom themes on the web, but the mobile apps aren’t consistent. Below is a list of all the major apps with dark mode, and how to turn it on.

HOW TO TAKE SQUARE PHOTOS WITH iPHONE 11 AND iIPHONE 11 PRO – Want to change the aspect ratio for iPhone 11 camera shots? Follow along for how to take square photos and more with iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.

The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro have a new Camera app that includes exclusive features like Night mode, an interface to make use of the new ultra-wide lens, and more. However, with the UI changes to the Camera app on the latest iPhones, some features are a bit buried, and it may not be clear at first how to get to them.

How to take square photos with iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro

Open the Camera

Tap the ^ icon in the upper center portion of your screen (or swipe up on the viewfinder)

Tap 4:3 (that’s the default)

Now choose Square

Snap your photo(s)

CANNOT LOG IN TO YOUR BANKING APPS ON THE iPHONE? iOS 13 TOUCH ID BUG MAY BE THE REASON – If you have recently updated to iOS 13 and have found you are unable to log in to some apps like your bank, or 1Password, or other apps that need authentication, we may have the solution. It turns out there is an iPhone iOS 13 bug affecting older iPhones with Touch ID, where the in-app authentication dialog simply doesn’t appear. Here’s the fix…

If an app offers Face ID or Touch ID as a

way to quickly log into it when you launch it, it is possibly affected by this iOS 13 bug — present on iOS 13.0 through iOS 13.1.1. The third-party apps use a system framework to show the biometric authentication screen.

Apps that ask for Touch ID at login include banking apps like Chase, Wells Fargo, Barclays, and Santander. This will also affect password keychain apps like 1Password or even apps that offer login security as a feature in the settings, like the Apollo Reddit client.

The problem is, essentially, the Touch ID alert dialog may not be shown. It looks like there’s nothing you can do as there is nothing displayed on the screen.

Here’s the fix… The Touch ID dialog prompt is actually there, it’s just invisible. If your banking app is on the screen where it is waiting for you to log in with Touch ID, but the alert simply isn’t shown, try putting your finger on the Home button anyway. It should authorize using your fingerprint and let you continue logging in.

It’s a weird bug that presumably Apple will fix soon, but basically, the API isn’t correctly displaying the alert dialog over the top of the app. You can try placing your finger on the Home button for the login flow to continue. Another workaround is to shake your device. The motion event seems to make the alert dialog visible again.

The Face ID version of the dialog prompt does not appear to suffer from the same issue, which means this can only affect owners of iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. (Older iPhones with Touch ID are unable to update to iOS 13.)

We would expect Apple to fix this bug soon but this is the most viable workaround in the interim. Just try to work out when the third-party app has tried to present the Touch ID authentication screen, and place your finger on the home button to scan your fingerprint as if it was visible.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HEARING WITH THE APPLE WATCH NOISE APP – The latest version of watchOS adds a Noise app to warn you of loud sounds that could damage your hearing. Here’s how to use it to protect your hearing.

Picture yourself at a music concert, or a bar, or a party. The music, background conversations, or other sounds have gotten so loud that you can’t even hear yourself think.

Exposure to loud noises is annoying and could damage your hearing. But how do you know if the surrounding noise in a certain place is actually loud enough to be hazardous to your health? Enter Apple’s Noise app, courtesy of watchOS 6.

With the Noise app, you can check the ambient sounds to view the decibel level and determine if the noise is so loud as to be harmful to your hearing. You can also set a decibel threshold in the app and receive a notification if the surrounding noise reaches or exceeds that level.

The only drawback is that only Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 $384.99 at Amazon running watchOS 6 support the Noise app. But if you have either device, you can set up the Noise app on your iPhone or directly on your watch. Let’s try it both ways.

WITH iOS 13.1, SHORTCUTS GETS A LOT MORE POWERFUL – Timed automations, Home automations that can run without anyone present, and even NFC stickers are now enabled.

With Tuesday’s release of iOS 13.1, Apple’s included Shortcuts app takes a major step forward with the addition of automation triggers, features that let you control your iPhone, iPad, and HomeKit setup like never before. Of all the features added to Shortcuts in iOS 13, this one has the most potential. And for iPad users, Tuesday’s release grants access to a major Shortcuts upgrade that will make it easier to create and edit automations on iPadOS.

WHY YOU SHOULD SIGN IN WITH GOOGLE, FACEBOOK, OR APPLE – Are you still creating user accounts everywhere? Maybe you should stop and sign in with your Google, Facebook, or Apple account instead. It might just be more secure—and it’s definitely more secure if you’re not currently using a password manager.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the excellent advice on how to stay secure if you are not using a Password Manager. http://bit.ly/2oVyABu

HOW TO USE TEXT EDITING GESTURES ON YOUR iPHONE AND iPAD – Apple added quite a few new text-editing gestures to the iPhone and iPad with iOS 13. These make it faster to select text, copy and paste, and move the text-entry cursor around. Apple’s keyboard now supports swipe-to-type, too.

HOW TO ENABLE DARK MODE ON OUTLOOK FOR ANDROID, IPHONE, AND IPAD – Microsoft has been rolling out a dark mode to its Office apps for over a year. This change has been available in Outlook for desktop and the web for several months, and now it’s live on Android, iPhone, and iPad. Here’s how to enable the theme.

The instructions for turning on Outlook’s dark mode is identical for all mobile devices. If you don’t see the option for the theme, check for an app update. Dark mode should be available on Android version 4.0.4 (345) and above. iPhone and iPad owners should have Outlook version 4.2.0 installed or newer.

HOW TO CONNECT TO WI-FI WITHOUT OPENING YOUR iPHONE’S SETTINGS – If you’re moving between rooms in your office or home, you might need to switch between Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth devices manually. Here’s how you can speed up the process of selecting the network using the Control Center on the iPhone and iPad.

This is a new feature introduced in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13. Like many other small features in this update, it solves a small annoyance in the everyday lives of iPhone and iPad users. With it, you no longer need to go to the Settings app to select Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth devices.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR NEXT iPAD – It’s tough to shop for an iPad. They all seem to do the same thing, but the difference between their prices is dramatic. Here’s how to navigate Apple’s ecosystem and find the iPad that’s right for you.

What Will You Do with an iPad?

You can do just about anything with an iPad. They’re great for playing games, watching TV, or browsing the web. But they also make fantastic digital tools for illustrators, musicians, or video editors. Some people even buy iPads as total laptop replacements.

So before you get into shopping for an iPad, you should figure out why you want one. Generally speaking, any iPad is excellent for playing games or browsing the web, while more demanding tasks like video editing will require some extra processing power.

HOW TO USE ICLOUD KEYCHAIN TO MANAGE AND STORE YOUR PASSWORDS – While password managers have long existed as third-party apps on iOS and macOS, Apple has doubled down on its own efforts. iCloud Keychain is a feature on macOS and iOS that stores passwords, credit card information, and more.

iCloud Keychain has been around for several years, but it continues to get more powerful and capable with each new release of iOS and macOS. For instance, iOS 12 and macOS Mojave added new features that automatically create strong and unique passwords for each website and app you use. This password is automatically stored in iCloud Keychain and easily accessible from all of your devices.

HOW TO MAKE CHROME YOUR DEFAULT BROWSER – With a market share of 64 percent on mobile devices and 67 percent for desktop/laptop so far in 2019, Google Chrome is the most installed web browser used today. Here’s how you can make Chrome your device’s default browser.

In this guide, we will show you how to set Chrome as the default web browser on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

Note: To set Chrome as your default browser, you must download and install it first. Windows and macOS can download it from Google’s website while iOS and Android use its respected app stores.

HOW TO INSTALL APPS DIRECTLY ON YOUR APPLE WATCH – With watchOS 6, the Apple Watch is inching ever closer to becoming a standalone device. While you still can’t set up an Apple Watch without an iPhone, you can now install and delete apps without touching your smartphone.

7 NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON PEOPLE AND USERS – If you can’t imagine your life without social media, that’s a sign that you’ve fallen a victim to the evil power and impact of social networking. It also means that you’ve experienced one (or more) of the negative effects of social media on society.

Don’t pretend you’ve never heard of these. While social media can have a positive impact too, that doesn’t mean it’s all hearts and flowers. Unfortunately.

How Social Media Is Bad for You

Let’s explore the darker side of social media and exactly how (and why) it’s bad for you. You’ll be surprised to learn the negative effects of social media are both physical and mental. It can change your perception of the world and yourself, and not always for the better.

Don’t believe us? Then read on to find out some of the negative effects of social media. And if you recognize any of them as your own symptoms it may be time to consider stop using social media altogether.

HOW TO SEE HOW MUCH TIME YOU’VE SPENT ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM – Facebook recently announced a rather unexpected feature: the social network giant is making it easier to keep track of how much time you’re spending on Facebook and Instagram.

To make use of this feature, you’ll need to use the mobile apps. And that’s where a significant caveat comes in: it only tracks how much time you spend on Facebook or Instagram on your phone. Any time spent on Facebook or Instagram in a normal browser won’t be counted.

So, that kind of makes it less useful. However, if you’re the kind of person who mainly interacts with Facebook or Instagram on your phone, then it can really help shed light on whether you might be addicted to your smartphone.

HOW TO USE SNAPCHAT: A COMPLETE BEGINNER’S GUIDE – No matter how much experience you have with Snapchat, the chances are you have some questions about how this social media platform works.

This guide is available to download as a free PDF. Download How to Use Snapchat: A Complete Beginner’s Guide now. Feel free to copy and share this with your friends and family.

Hundreds of millions of people now use Snapchat every month. Most of these users are under the age of 25 and have grown up navigating the ever-changing world of social media apps.

However, while most social media apps have a clear purpose and function, Snapchat is simultaneously a news source, instant messenger, public broadcast platform, selfie-taker, and #1 source of that dog tongue filter (add animations to your selfies). Honestly, even for its most experienced users, Snapchat can be pretty confusing.

To help, we have put together a single resource where you can learn exactly how to use Snapchat. Whether you want to send pictures of your breakfast to your best friend, participate in a location-based story, create a Bitmoji, or catch up on your favorite celebrities, this article will answer all of your questions…

THE BEST TABLETS FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES – As children grow, their interest in electronics grows with them. When you feel they’re ready, you might give them a tablet (if nothing else to keep their grubby hands off yours). Here are some of the best tablets for kids.

6 TIPS FOR MANAGING PRIVACY AND SECURITY SETTINGS IN IOS 12 – Apple has announced its new products and features, including the much-touted operating system, iOS 12. Although the new software for iPad and iPhone is packed with a number of cool features, the central focus has been the privacy and security features.

The added security features are aimed at protecting data of iPhone and iPad users. The update promises to curb intruders from accessing private files on the device. Although, the new update pledges to keep hackers at bay, securing the device is entirely up to the user.

Go to this MakeUseOf web page and find good advice on keeping your iDevice secure.

iOS 13 IS AVAILABLE NOW, FOR IPADS AND IPHONES – Get it on your iPads and iPhones. You will need to know you Apple ID password to complete the installation.

10 TIPS TO GET THE MOST FROM iCLOUD – MacMost has some useful tips for getting even more from your iCloud service. You can backup and sync photos from cameras using just your iPhone, create family Calendars and shared Notes, you can even add funds to your Apple account so you don’t have to pay a few dollars every month. Check out the tips at http://bit.ly/2lam4fY

10 HIDDEN iPHONE CAMERA FEATURES EVERY PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD USE– Are you using your iPhone camera features to their full potential? Some iPhone camera settings are so well hidden that you might not even realize they exist. But once you find them, you’ll be able to take your photography to a whole new level. Read on to discover 10 hidden iPhone camera features that will dramatically improve your photos… and give you ultimate control over your iPhone camera.

HOW TO CREATE A CUSTOM THEME FOR GOOGLE CHROME – Just like creating a custom theme on your PC, it’s nice to change things up on your browser from time to time. You have been able to change the Chrome theme for years. The Chrome web store is full of different themes you can install. But you might want your theme to be a bit more personal. With the updated Chrome 77, you can create your own customized version of a Chrome theme. Here’s how.

Note: To enable the option to create a custom theme, you need to make sure you’re running Chrome 77. To verify you’re running the latest version click the Menu (three dots) and then head to Help > About Google Chrome.

Identity crimes include scenarios like a hacker who steals your credentials to break into your accounts or assume your financial identity, or someone thousands of miles away from you who runs up charges on your credit card and takes out loans in your name.

If you need something else to keep you awake, the FTC describes identity theft scenarios in which a thief gets a credit card in your name, sends the bill to another address, and (of course) never pays. Or he uses your personal information to steal your tax refund or pretends to be you if he’s arrested.

WHAT IS A GIF, AND HOW DO YOU USE THEM? – Even if you can’t define the word “GIF,” you’ve definitely seen one before. They helped define the early internet, and they’re more popular now than ever before. But what exactly is a GIF, and how do you use them? Find out more at this How-To Geek web page: http://bit.ly/2lMRh9e

September 5, 2019

5 POPULAR FIREFOX EXTENSIONS YOU SHOULD REMOVE RIGHT NOW – Extensions add all sorts of new functionality to your browser that it doesn’t have out of the box. While we love add-ons, unfortunately they aren’t all trustworthy.

For every productivity-boosting extension, there’s a useless or malicious one that wants to track your habits, spam you with ads, or even hijack your browsing.

If you have any of the below Firefox extensions installed, we recommend removing them right away.

Go to this Make Use Of article and get rid of Mozilla FireFox Browser extensions that are not in your best interest.http://bit.ly/2NoL9Q6

HOW TO REDOWNLOAD APPS ON iPHONE AND iPAD – Are you trying to find an app that you previously purchased or downloaded? Follow along for how to redownload apps on iPhone and iPad.

In addition to being able to redownload any apps that you’ve purchased or downloaded to your iPhone or iPad in the past, you can also download any apps that family members have purchased if you use Apple’s Family Sharing feature.

How to redownload apps on iPhone and iPad

Open the App Store

Tap your profile iconin the top right corner

Choose Purchasedthen My Purchases

You can filter your purchased apps to find what you’re looking for or pull down on the results to search for a specific app.

HOW TO EXTEND APPLE WATCH BATTERY LIFE WHILE TRAVELING – Apple Watch has evolved with new features and hardware changes since the original launched in 2015 but one aspect that has remained nearly the same is battery life. Read on as we take a look at how to extend Apple Watch battery life while traveling with some options in settings as well as portable chargers.

The first Apple Watch came with a rating of up to 18 hours of battery life and that’s the same rating that Apple Watch Series 4 has today. Depending on your usage you may be able to squeeze more out of it, but if you’re tracking workouts with heart rate monitoring, using GPS, and more, it will be depleted more quickly.

Particularly when you’re traveling, you might rely on your watch more and drain the battery faster than usual. It can also be more of a hassle to charge when you’re away from home.

We’ll start by looking at a few settings you can adjust to extend battery life, then look at some of the best portable chargers for Apple Watch that are great for short and long trips alike.

How to extend Apple Watch battery life while traveling

Software settings

If you’re willing to make some sacrifices to your Apple Watch functionality there are some ways to extend its battery life with some settings tweaks.

Use Airplane Mode (swipe up from the bottom of your watch and tap the airplane icon). This will allow you to keep earning activity credit for your stand, move, and exercise goals and access other features on your watch but will disconnect it from your iPhone and reduce battery drain.

Power Reserve Mode (swipe up from bottom > tap battery % > slide Power Reserve button. This will save a considerable amount of battery but it will only offer the option of seeing the current time. All other Apple Watch functionality is cut off so this will likely be more of a last resort.

5 FASTEST AND FREE FILE-SHARING APPS TO TRANSFER LARGE FILES ONLINE – When you need to transfer a large file over the internet, try these websites and apps. From temporary sharing to a torrent-cloud hybrid, each has something a little different.

File transfer apps are often better than using email or a cloud storage provider like Google Drive. After all, you can simply create a link and share it with anyone, without worrying about permissions, giving out your own personal details, or constraining to file size limits. You can also share files anonymously with people in your vicinity, or share really large data faster through peer-to-peer technology.

HOW TO LET A CONTACT BYPASS iOS’ DO NOT DISTURB MODE – The iPhone’s Do Not Disturb feature is a great way to make sure your handset doesn’t disturb you when you’re sleeping or busy. But if you want a certain contact to still be able to get ahold of you, you can whitelist them. Here’s how.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see the steps required to add people to the whitelist that will not be affected by Do Not Disturb. http://bit.ly/2Zhv6L4

HOW TO READ SD AND MICROSD MEMORY CARDS ON iPHONE AND iPAD – Want to import photos and videos from an SD or microSD card directly to your iPhone or iPad? Read along for a step-by-step guide on how to make it happen.

Unlike Android smartphones that often include built-in ability to read and add extra storage via microSD memory cards, Apple’s iPhone and iPad require an adapter to import photos and videos from memory cards. At face value, that may seem frustrating, but Apple is able to offer better security by controlling how memory cards can work with iOS devices.

Keep in mind that using SD and microSD cards with iPhone and iPad is limited to importing photos and videos to the Photos app. If you’re looking to save, store, and move files more generally, you’ll want to pick up a Lightning flash drive like SanDisk’s iXpand.

HOW TO READ SD AND MICROSD MEMORY CARDS ON iPHONE

Pick up an SD/microSD adapter

Apple’s official Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader runs $29. If you have an iPad Pro with USB-C, Apple’s USB-C to SD Card Camera Reader sells for $39. These just work with regular size SD cards, so you’ll need a microSD to SD adapter if you don’t have one already.

Alternately, the top-selling Lightning to SD/microSD card reader on Amazon is priced at $13. It also has slots for both SD and microSD cards, so you don’t need to worry about the SD to microSD adapter like with Apple’s card readers.

A great alternative to Apple’s $40 USB-C version is Uni’s USB-C to SD card reader for $15. It also has separate slots for SD and microSD cards.

Plug in the SD card adapter to your iPhone or iPad

Insert the SD or microSD card from which you want to import photos and videos

The Photos app will automatically launch and give you the option to import media

If it doesn’t, open the Photos app and tap the Import tab at the bottom

The Hidden Redial Button On Your iPhone

Sure would be nice if there was a redial button on the iPhone’s Phone app keypad, right? Guess what, there is one.

Just tap the big green Call button at the bottom of the screen.

If you haven’t entered any numbers yet, this brings up the last number dialed.

Then tap it again to call.

August 21, 2019

HOW TO DELETE YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT ON iPHONE – Are you ready to part ways with Twitter? Read along for how to delete your Twitter account from iPhone, iPad, and the web.

Before you delete your Twitter account, you may want to download a copy of your information first. Learn how to do that here.

Twitter notes that you can restore an account for up to 30 days after it has been accidentally or wrongfully deactivated (deleted). If you think you may want to use your existing username or email with Twitter at some point in the future, you should change them before deleting your account.

If you’re ready to delete your Twitter account (or at least ready to delete it for 30 days) follow along with the steps below.

How to delete your Twitter account on iPhone

On Twitter for iOS and mobile web

Open the official Twitter app on your iPhone (or iPad) and tap your profile picture

Choose Settings and privacy, then tap Account at the top

At the bottom, choose Deactivate your account

Read the “What else you should know” disclaimer, tap Deactivate

Enter your password and follow the prompts to delete your account.

HOW TO USE GOOGLE PHOTOS TO BACK UP YOUR iPHONE PHOTOS – It’s easy to get free protection from losing all your photos if your phone gets lost, stolen, or broken and with Google Photos.

There’s a good chance you are already backing up your photos and video from your iPhone through iCloud, Google Photos, or another service and that’s great, but I’m also sure you probably have a parent or sibling that isn’t, especially if they’ve already filled up their free allotted iCloud storage. It’s easy with Google Photos to get free protection from losing all your photos if your phone gets lost, stolen, or broken.

WHAT TO DO BEFORE (AND AFTER) YOUR PHONE IS STOLEN – Millions of phones are stolen every year, and there’s a chance yours could be one of them. But it doesn’t have to be—you can make your phone theftproof! We’ll show you how, and what you should do if your phone is stolen.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and find out how to protect yourself before and after. http://bit.ly/2MhcLqI

HOW TO RENAME FOLDERS ON AN iPHONE OR iPAD – When you create a folder on an iPhone or iPad, Apple automatically gives the folder a name. As these names aren’t always fitting, you’ll likely want to change them. Here’s how you can rename folders on your devices.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR APPLE ID EMAIL ADDRESS – If you get a new email address or no longer have access to an old one, updating your Apple ID is important for protecting your account. Here’s how to update your Apple ID.

Changing the email address you use as your Apple ID isn’t difficult under the right circumstances. If your Apple ID is a third-party email address, such as gmail.com or outlook.com, you can choose another third-party address when changing your Apple ID. But if your Apple ID is an Apple email address, like icloud.com, you’re unlikely to be able to change your Apple ID at all.

iPADOS: HOT FEATURES SET TO ARRIVE FROM APPLE – For the first time in the history of iPad, Apple’s tablet lineup will no longer be using iOS. Later this year, the company will release iPadOS, a tablet-specific operating system packed full of exciting new features, including font management, pinned widgets, and much more. Here’s a look at some of the hottest new features set to arrive with iPadOS 13 and what you can expect.

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR GOOGLE DRIVE – Over time, with some neglect and potential laziness, your Google Drive can accrue tons of files and become a mess to find anything.

Read this How-To Geek article on how to organize your Drive to find everything fast and make sure it stays in order. http://bit.ly/2MgOGjI

HOW TO CHANGE SIRI VOICE FEEDBACK VOLUME ON IPHONE, IPAD, MAC, AND APPLE WATCH – Do you find Siri’s responses to be too loud or too quiet on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch? Follow along below for how to change the Siri voice feedback volume.

Interestingly, there’s not a place in Settings under Siri & Search or Sounds & Haptics to change the Siri voice feedback volume on iPhone and iPad. The same is true for Mac, with System Preferences just including an on/off option for Siri voice feedback.

However, with Apple Watch, you can head to Settings → Siri → Voice Volume — Speaker to adjust it.

For iPhone and iPad, read the steps below. On Mac, follow the same steps but use your keyboard or menu bar to change the Siri voice feedback volume.

How to change Siri voice feedback volume

Ask Siri a question or give a command

While Siri is responding, use the volume buttons to raise or lower the voice feedback volume

That’s it. : )

How to get Siri to say names right on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Are you tired of Siri mispronouncing your name and others’ names? Read on for how to easily get Siri to say names right on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

With all the different ways to pronounce names, it’s understandable that Siri can’t get them right by default. Fortunately, there’s a quick process to help the voice assistant out and get Siri to say names right. Keep in mind you can do this for yourself as well as any of your contacts.

While the images below show the steps on iPhone, you can teach Siri how to say names on iPad and Mac as well (not supported on Apple Watch).

How to get Siri to say names right

Use the Siri command “Learn to pronounce ____________”

Fill in the blank with a contact’s name or “my name”

Tell Siri how to pronounce the first name, then choose from the options given

Tell Siri how to pronounce the last name, then choose the best option

You can also repeat how to pronounce it by tapping “Tell Siri again” if the offered options aren’t quite right.

How to restore default iPhone settings without erasing your data

Want to keep all of your data but restore to the default iPhone settings? Read along below for several options for how to reset to the defaults for the Home screen layout, privacy and location settings, and more.

While the “Reset All Settings” option won’t delete your content, the one thing it does remove is Apple Pay cards. If you don’t want to re-load your Apple Pay cards, choose one of the other options mentioned below.

Here’s how Apple describes the Reset All Settings option:

All settings—including network settings, the keyboard dictionary, the Home screen layout, location settings, privacy settings, and Apple Pay cards—are removed or reset to their defaults. No data or media are deleted.

Important: Do not choose Erase All Content and Settings unless you want to wipe your entire iPhone, including all of your data

HOW TO CHECK YOUR CALENDAR FROM YOUR APPLE WATCH – If you use the Calendar app on your iPhone to keep track of your busy day, digging into your pocket to view it can get annoying. With Apple Watch you can see what’s coming up from your wrist.

During your hectic day, it’s important to have your calendar on your iPhone set up to keep track of the day’s events. And if you have an Apple Watch, one of its built-in features is the Calendar app. It syncs with your iPhone and allows you to view the meetings and other events that are coming up. This to see what’s on your calendar from your wrist without having to dig your phone out of your pocket.

Go to this Groovy Post Web Site and learn how to view the calendar events on your Apple Watch. http://bit.ly/2Tl8gw0

August 5, 2019

HERE’S WHAT ALL THE iPHONE STATUS BAR ICONS MEAN– Are you seeing some strange status bar icons on your iPhone? Or maybe you’re just curious to see the full list? Follow along below for a complete rundown of all the iPhone status bar icons.

You’re probably aware of what most iPhone status bar icons mean, but there are some that you don’t see very often among the 27 total icons. Check out the full list below to figure out one that you’re not sure of, or bone up on your random iPhone knowledge.

HOW TO SPEED UP THE iPHONE UPGRADE PROCESS IN iOS 12.4 AND HIGHER [VIDEO] – With the release of iOS 12.4, Apple officially rolled out its new iPhone migration feature to make it quicker to move data between two iPhones. iPhone Migration is an add-on to the iPhone’s Quick Start proximity-based initial setup utility and can be used to transfer all of your data wirelessly from a current iPhone to a new iPhone. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough to see how to use iPhone Migration in iOS 12.4 or later.

Go to this 9 to 5 Mac web page and see how it is done with pictures, video and screenshots. http://bit.ly/2JYMStl

4 ESSENTIAL GOOGLE ACCOUNT SETTINGS TO CHANGE FOR BETTER SECURITY – From emails and documents to photos and notes—your Google account is your personal stash of important data. Have you done what you can to protect it from digital mishaps and malice?

At the very least, make these four basic changes from your Google Account page to protect your account and keep it easy to recover if the need arises.

APPLE ID GUIDE: HOW TO CREATE, LOG IN, MANAGE, CHANGE & SET UP FAMILY SHARING – If you’ve just bought your first Apple product, whether you’re switching from Android or finally cracking and purchasing your first smartphone, you’ll need to set up an Apple ID. Your Apple ID is the account that you use to access all things Apple; iTunes, the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, iMessage, FaceTime, and more. In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to create an Apple ID and make sure your account is secure, as well as where and how you can use your Apple ID. We’ll also troubleshoot some common problems and issues with your Apple ID including changing the ID, changing the password, what to do if you forgot your Apple ID, and more. Let’s dig in.

HOW TO SEND iPHONE CALLS DIRECTLY TO VOICEMAIL – Do you want to send iPhone calls directly to voicemail instead of just silencing them? Read on for a quick tutorial on how to do this in a few different circumstances.

There are several options for when you don’t want to answer an incoming call on your iPhone. Follow along below for how to send calls directly to voicemail from the Lock screen, Home screen, and with supported headphones.

How to send calls directly to voicemail on iPhone (3 different methods)

If your iPhone is locked, double-click the Side button quickly (or Sleep/Wake button)

If your iPhone is unlocked, tap the Decline button on your screen.

When using headphones with in-line buttons (like EarPods), press and hold the center button until you hear two low beeps

Apple does note that this feature isn’t available in all regions. Read more about managing incoming iPhone calls on this Apple Support document.

HOW TO REBOOT YOUR ROUTER AND MODEM – If web pages aren’t loading or streaming video keeps buffering, resetting your router and modem is one of the first things you should try, as it can fix a slew of Wi-Fi or Internet connection problems.

This works just like rebooting your Windows PC when you’re having issues. The software on your router and modem will shut down and restart in a fresh state. When you restart your modem, it will reconnect to your Internet service provider (ISP). Some routers—especially older ones—can slow down over time as they run. This is a software problem, and a quick restart can fix it.

HOW TO SPEED UP THE iPHONE UPGRADE PROCESS IN iOS 12.4 AND HIGHER [VIDEO] – With the release of iOS 12.4, Apple officially rolled out its new iPhone migration feature to make it quicker to move data between two iPhones. iPhone Migration is an add-on to the iPhone’s Quick Start proximity-based initial setup utility and can be used to transfer all of your data wirelessly from a current iPhone to a new iPhone. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough to see how to use iPhone Migration in iOS 12.4 or later.

HOW TO CHANGE SIRI’S LANGUAGE ON iPHONE – Want to change Siri’s language on your iPhone? Follow along for how to do it in a few simple steps and also how to make sure “Hey Siri” is set up in the new language.

If you end up changing the system-wide language on your iPhone, Siri’s language will actually remain the same as what you originally set it up with. Read on for how to change Siri’s language and how to retrain “Hey Siri” in the updated language with the steps and images below.

How to change Siri’s language on iPhone

Open Settings

Swipe down and tap Siri & Search

Choose Language

Pick a new language and tap Change Language to confirm your choice

Tap the “Hey Siri” toggle on the main Siri & Search settings to train the feature in the new language

Note that when you change Siri’s language, “Hey Siri” will be turned off. On the main Siri & Search settings page, you’ll need to tap the toggle on and retrain it in the new language you selected (if you’ve haven’t used “Hey Siri” with it before).

APPLE RELEASES IOS 12.4 WITH NEW WIRELESS IPHONE-TO-IPHONE DATA MIGRATION FEATURE AND MORE – Apple recently released iOS 12.4 with a handful of new features, including an iPhone-to-iPhone wireless data transfer option and Apple News+ improvements. Notably absent from the release notes was the Apple Card, which is slated to launch this summer.

HOW TO TRANSFER ALL YOUR DATA FROM AN OLD iPHONE TO A NEW iPHONE – How do you effectively transfer the contents of an older iPhone to a new one? It’s not too difficult to do, whether you’re setting up a brand new iPhone fresh out of the box, or your new iPhone is already set up and running, just not with your data.

Go to this Mac World article and get all the steps for setting up your new iPhone and getting your old iPhone ready to sell or pass on to a friend. http://bit.ly/2GyD4UF

July 18, 2019

HOW TO USE SIRI & WHAT TO DO WHEN SIRI STOPS WORKING – If you’ve ever struggled to get Hey Siri to listen to your requests or wondered how to optimize Siri to meet your needs, then you’ve come to the right place. This guide will teach you how to set up and activate Siri on your iPhone, AirPods, and HomePod, plus share tips and tricks to get the most out of features like Ask Siri and My Shortcuts. Read on to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about setting up, activating, and using Siri.

WHERE TO PLACE YOUR ROUTER FOR THE BEST WI-FI SPEEDS – If your home Wi-Fi seems slow in some rooms, your router might not be in the best location. Wi-Fi doesn’t travel far—especially through metal and concrete. So, it’s important to determine the best place for your router.

HOW TO TAKE A STILL PHOTO WHILE SHOOTING VIDEO ON AN iPHONE – This is a favorite tip of mine for the iPhone. You can shoot video and take a still photo while you’re recording. There have been many times when I was shooting video and wanted to take a quick snapshot. Luckily, doing so on an iPhone is super easy. Here’s how to take a still photo while shooting video on your iPhone.

How to Take a Still Photo While Shooting Video

Open the Camera app and swipe over to Video.

Tap the red button at the center to start recording video.

To take a still photo while you’re recording, tap the white button located in the bottom left corner of the screen.

The photo will automatically save to your Photos app.

WHAT IS THE AIRDROP FEATURE ON iPHONE AND HOW DO I USE IT? – We’ve all been in situations where we might want to share a picture among friends or even strangers. Depending on when you started with technology your first thought would be to email or text the person in the picture. That requires the sharing of personal information, time, and a reliable data connection. If everyone is running iOS, you might have forgotten about AirDrop. Apple doesn’t promote it much, but it’s fast, reliable, and easy.

Go to this Groovy Post site and see the steps for AirDrop on Photos and Passwords to share.

HOW TO USE SEARCH SUGGESTIONS IN SAFARI & CHROME ON YOUR iPHONE – When searching the web on your iPhone, you can use the search suggestions that appear below the search bar in Safari or Chrome instead of typing out your whole query. Usually, when you tap a search suggestion, it immediately searches with those terms. With iOS 12.2 or later, when you tap the blue arrow next to a search suggestion, the phrase is added to the search bar and you’ll be able to continue typing or tapping to add additional search suggestions.

HOW TO CHECK AND TIGHTEN ALL YOUR iPHONE’S PRIVACY SETTINGS – Apps on your iPhone have to ask permission before accessing your data, but have you ever agreed to a permission request only to reconsider it later? Take back control of your data by reviewing your privacy settings.

This is about more than apps, too. Your iPhone lets you limit the ad tracking available to apps, preventing them from showing you targeted ads.

16 MICROSOFT WORD TIPS YOU NEED TO LEARN NOW – Think you know everything about Microsoft Word? Here are some hidden tricks and time-saving hacks you need to know about Redmond’s word-processing app.

Microsoft Word is the most ubiquitous word-processing program on the market; it’s intuitive even for the most technologically illiterate computer users and is backed by the powerful Microsoft Office suite.

Nudged by cloud-based programs like Google Docs, Word has evolved over the years with online subscriptions that offer access on multiple devices, as well as a free, cloud-based version of Word. But despite the competition, Microsoft’s software remains the go-to tool for producing important docs. And why not? It’s dependable, customizable, and has lots of baked-in functionality you may not have tried yet. Read on for some semi-hidden treats only power users know.

HOW TO SAVE ITEMS TO THE FILES APP ON YOUR iPHONE – Saving items like notes, documents, and photos to the Files app on your iPhone can help you view and manage several things from one app. Here’s how to save items to the Files app, which will help you stay organized. If you use Finder on your Mac, you’ll notice that the Files app works in a similar way for your iPhone. By saving items to the Files app, you can use Files as a hub to view or share multiple things from this single app. With the Files app, you’ll be able to save items to your iCloud Drive (after you’ve set up iCloud Drive) or a folder under On This iPhone.

HOW TO MOVE GOOGLE AUTHENTICATOR TO A NEW PHONE (OR MULTIPLE PHONES) – Two-factor authentication has become an essential security precaution for many people, but it can also be a source of anxiety. When you change or upgrade phones, Google Authenticator doesn’t migrate codes automatically—you need to do that manually.

Thankfully, it’s not difficult to move Google Authenticator codes from one phone to another, although, admittedly, it can be somewhat cumbersome and time-consuming. Google intended this, more or less, by design. It shouldn’t be too easy to retrieve authentication codes from anywhere except the device you’re using for your two-factor authentication, or the whole value of 2FA would be moot.

Nonetheless, here’s what you need to know to get Google Authenticator (and all of your authentication codes) from an old phone to a new one. Whether you’re jumping platforms or staying within your iOS or Android universes, the process is the same.

WHY DID YOUR IPHONE BEEP OR VIBRATE? HERE’S HOW TO FIND OUT – Notification settings are relatively complex on a modern iPhone or iPad. It’s possible for an app to play sounds or vibrate your phone without showing any visible notifications. Here’s how to pin down the offender.

It’s worth remembering that phantom vibrations are a common phenomenon. Many people have felt their iPhone vibrate in their pocket, only to pull it out and realize it hadn’t vibrated at all. Phantom sounds can also occur, especially in noisy locations. Did your phone’s notification sound really play? Perhaps that was just another sound amidst the din of noise—or the same notification sound coming from someone else’s phone.

But that’s not the only issue. Your iPhone could have vibrated or played a sound even if there are no notifications on your notification center or lock screen when you check it.

HOW TO RESET CHROME SETTINGS TO DEFAULT – Sometimes, unbeknownst to us, adware, malware, and unwanted extensions change settings—like homepages and default search engines—and make it nearly impossible to change them back. When you reset a browser’s settings, it removes some of the guesswork and does it all for you.

What Settings Get Reset?

When you reset Chrome to default, a lot of data gets deleted, but not everything. While you’re signed in to your Google account on Chrome, the following settings will revert to the default on all devices you’re currently signed in on:

Default Search Engine: Changes back to Google.

Homepage and Tabs: The Home button—if you’ve enabled it—will disappear and any startup tabs will be cleared.

New Tab Page: Changes back to the default New Tab page with Google logo, search bar, and thumbnails of most visited sites.

Pinned Tabs: These will unpin and be removed.

Content Settings: This includes a site’s access to the camera or microphone, notifications, whether to block pop-ups, and so on.

Cookies and Site Data: All will be cleared.

Extensions and Themes: Will be disabled.

Some settings, like fonts, accessibility features, bookmarks, history, and passwords, will remain unaffected. If you’re looking to wipe your Google account completely, you can use our guide to delete all synced data in Chrome.

WHAT IS FACE ID ON iOS AND HOW DO I USE IT? – Apple revealed the iPhone X in September 2017, the company’s first redesigned iPhone in three years. Unlike previous iPhones going back to 2013’s iPhone 5S, the iPhone X shipped without the company’s long-running fingerprint recognition feature, Touch ID. In its place, Apple launched Face ID. Since then, the authentication tool has popped up on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max,11-inch iPad Pro, and third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. To date, it isn’t available on other Apple products such as the MacBook Pro, which still offers Touch ID. Read this groovyPost article to learn about Face ID: http://bit.ly/320kxtr

HOW TO TAG YOUR EMAILS FOR MAXIMUM SEARCHABILITY – The problem with keeping email in one large archive is finding specific messages again. So, people create one extra folder, and then two, and then loads! Use these techniques instead of folders to organize your archive.

iOS TIP: HOW TO CLEAR YOUR IPHONE’S RAM AND MAKE IT FASTER – Finding that your iPhone is feeling a little slow? Read this ZDNet article for a quick and easy trick to help speed it up without having to restart it or delete any apps or data. https://zd.net/2Xjn0LY

8 NIFTY APPS TO IDENTIFY ANYTHING USING YOUR PHONE’S CAMERA – For many people, your phone’s camera is one of its most important aspects. It has a ton of uses, from superimposing wild creatures into reality with AR apps to taking sharp pictures even at night.

But you might be missing out on another major ability your phone’s camera has: it can work as a visual search engine and identify just about anything you see in the world. Here are the best identification apps for Android and iPhone.

HOW TO BACK UP YOUR PICTURES AFTER GOOGLE ENDS PHOTOS AND DRIVE SYNC – Android, iPhones, Windows 10, MACOS.

Starting July 10th Google will no longer sync your pics and vids from Google Photos to Google Drive. Here is a look at what’s happening and how to back up content from your phone or computer.

Google announced last week that it is decoupling Google Photos and Google Drive. The two will no longer automatically sync photos starting in July. This Groovy Post article explains what is happening starting July 10th, when the change happens. Also, they show you how to back up your Google Photos from an Android or iOS device. Or, if you want to do it from a Mac or Windows computer, they show you that too.

WHAT IS PROTONMAIL AND WHY SHOULD YOU SIGN UP? (Android and iPhone Apps) – The big companies offer efficient email services in exchange for your data which is sold to advertising and other data brokers. If you are tired of being the product, check out an alternative.

Are you tired of hearing about data security breaches? Have you had enough of knowing that companies like Google, Facebook, and many others, continue to sell your private information to advertisers and make billions each year?

It’s time to consider ProtonMail, which promises both zero-access and end-to-end encryption to protect your data. Once only for CERN scientists, the Swiss-based email service is now used by millions of people across 150 countries.

HOW TO TURN YOUR PHONE INTO A WI-FI HOTSPOT – With a few taps, you can turn your smartphone into a source for internet that laptops, tablets, and other phones can use. Here’s how to turn your phone into a hotspot.

If you’re stuck in a situation where you need a Wi-Fi connection, but can’t get it anywhere else, chances are your smartphone can give you the boost you need. By setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot, you can turn your phone into a source for internet that laptops, tablets, and other phones can use.

It may sound complicated, but you can be connected with just a few taps. Most of the major carriers offer tethering services, though your ability to create a Wi-Fi hotspot depends on your service plan and data allowance.

One thing to keep in mind: tethering eats up battery life in addition to data. Investing in a battery case is a good idea if you intend to use hotspot mode frequently. If you’re a business traveler who needs to be connected all day, consider a dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot; we have a few favorites.

If you’re ready to tether, here’s how to turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot.

HOW TO REMOVE PERSONAL INFO FROM A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION BEFORE SHARING – It’s never a bad idea to remove your personal information from a file before sharing it. Office applications might store personal information in each file you create, meaning everyone that receives that file will have your information. Here’s how to remove it. Microsoft PowerPoint is free for iPads and iPhones.

APPLE CERTIFIED REPAIR SERVICE EXPANDS TO EVERY BEST BUY IN THE U.S. – This adds almost 1,000 new places you can get an official repair for your Apple gear.

Need to get your iPhone screen fixed (or maybe your MacBook keyboard) but the nearest Apple store is over an hour away? You may now have another option.

Apple has announced that it has partnered with Best Buy to offer certified repairs at every one of its nearly 1,000 locations in the United States. According to the release, Best Buy’s Geek Squad now has nearly 7,600 newly Apple-certified technicians that can make same-day iPhone repairs and service other products. Best Buy stores will use official Apple parts and their repair work will be backed by Apple.

Apple has been under a lot of pressure to reduce backlogs, wait times, and crowding for repairs at its Apple Stores, and this should help a lot. According to Apple, this partnership means that there are now over 1,800 third-party Apple authorized service providers in the U.S., which is three times as many locations as three years ago. Apple claims that eight out of ten Apple customers will now be within 20 minutes of an authorized service provider.

HOW TO BACK UP AND ORGANIZE PHOTOS FROM YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – Running out of space? Here’s the easiest way to get photos and videos off your iOS device and the best way to organize them.

My partner recently asked me to share my digital photo albums so that we both have access to them. Before I shared them, I wanted to make sure all the photos were saved to the same location and clearly labeled. It had been about two years since I thoroughly organized my collection. A big part of the job would be getting images off my iPhone, saving them to the same file-syncing and storage service I use for the rest of my images and making sure they were clearly labeled.

I had put off the task for a few weeks when suddenly my iPhone and Mac began shoving notifications in my face about nearing the cap on my iCloud storage. All signs were pointing me toward a photo cleanup project, and the first step would be to deal with the pictures on my iPhone.

I went through the process and distilled it down to this guide for how to get photos off your iPhone and organize them.

HOW TO MANAGE OR CANCEL YOUR PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM iPHONE OR iPAD – Apple now supports several premium subscriptions to various services. However, finding where to cancel a trial or resubscribe to a service can be confusing. Here we show how to manage them.

The other day, I signed up for a monthly subscription trial. Like most, I only wanted it for that month because it was free, just like it explains in this article. But I couldn’t find anywhere to cancel the recurring charges. There wasn’t anywhere to do it in the app. And it prompted me to go into Settings and cancel it.

Since iOS 11, Apple will manage all your paid subscriptions, but it’s buried deep in Settings and it can be frustrating to find. Here, we’ll show you the step-by-step process to manage your paid subscriptions on your iOS device to avoid recurring charges.

HOW TO CREATE FREE RINGTONES DIRECTLY ON YOUR iPHONE – Creating a ringtone for your iPhone from your favorite song can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how to quickly whip up a killer new tone directly on your phone.

There are numerous ringtone apps in the iOS app store. We checked out about a dozen of them, and they all have similar functionality. All of the apps we tested required that you load music to the iPhone using iTunes instead of downloading it from a cloud or streaming music service. It remains to be seen how the retirement of iTunes will affect these apps going forward. A surprising number of these apps also look for a weekly subscription upgrade to unlock all the features, which feels a little dirty.

Ultimately, we went with Ringtone Designer 2.0. Ringtone Designer 2.0 has all the basics you need—the ability to import a track and determine the positioning and length of the clip (30 seconds max). It also adds the ability to fade the clip in and out.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and follow the steps to make your ring tone your favorite sound from a song you love. http://bit.ly/2IbGopZ

HOW TO SEND AN IPHONE OR IPAD APP AS A GIFT – The iOS App Store includes a feature that lets you gift apps to other users. You can even add a personalized message and schedule the gift to be delivered on a specific date if you want. Here’s how.

June 5, 2019DO iPHONE “SECURITY” APPS ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING? – Apple won’t allow “antivirus” apps in the App Store, but there are many “security” apps available. For example, Norton Mobile Security costs $14.99 per year, and Lookout Premium costs $29.99 per year. But do these apps actually do anything?

You don’t need an antivirus app for your iPhone. (http://bit.ly/30SuYPd). You won’t find any in the App Store. So what do these “security” apps do? Are they useful, and how exactly are they protecting you?

FIREFOX TO BLOCK THIRD-PARTY TRACKING COOKIES BY DEFAULT – For now, the default blocking will only be switched on for new Firefox users. It will roll out for existing users in the coming months.

The latest release of Mozilla’s Firefox browser will now block third-party tracking cookies by default.

The privacy protection arrived Tuesday in Firefox 67.0.1. “When it comes to privacy, default settings matter,” Firefox product lead Peter Dolanjski wrote in a blog post. “We hope that the actions we are taking can ultimately compel change in the industry.”

The blocking will automatically occur for new users who download the latest Firefox release. You’ll notice the feature when you go to the browser’s preferences and check “Content Blocking.”

HOW TO USE GOOGLE CHROME’S HIDDEN READER MODE – Chrome 75 has a hidden “Reader” mode that strips web pages down to the bare minimum to make them easier to, well, read. But it’s not enabled by default—here’s how to get it now.

Google has been experimenting with this feature on and off in the desktop version of Chrome for years, but it’s now available with a hidden flag instead of an extra hidden command line option. We expect Google is gearing up to release it in stable form without any flags required.

Go to this How-To-Geek Web page to turn ON readers view if you use the Chrome Browser. http://bit.ly/2QOr1qe

May 28, 2019WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DUCKDUCKGO – Unlike Google, DuckDuckGo is an internet search engine that promises to protect the privacy of its users. Here is a look at how the browser protects your data and what you can expect.

To become one of the largest companies in the world, Google has relied heavily on how it collects user data. In turn, it sells this information for marketing and other purposes. This data collection hasn’t set well with many over the years who have accused Google of being weak on privacy. When it comes to search, there’s an alternative. DuckDuckGo is an internet search engine that promises to protect the privacy of its users. In doing so, it has become a worthy Google competitor.

Go to this Groovy Post web site and read all the information about DuckDuckGo. How to Start Using this search engine in many different browsers, mobile devices and of course your PC, with lots of screenshots. http://bit.ly/2WuhWrP

(PS: I have been using DDG for many years, and I love it.)

Is DuckDuckGo for You?I do not like giving away my personal information to services like Google, Bing, and Yahoo search engines. I decided to switch from Google search to DuckDuckGo for search engine purposes years ago to protect my privacy. I did it on my Laptop PC, iPad and iPhone.

WHERE’S MY PACKAGE? AWESOME WAYS TO TRACK YOUR PACKAGE ON SMART DEVICES – If you get package deliveries from numerous companies, tracking them all can be overwhelming. Instead of using basic tracking from the parcel services, check out these all-in-one mobile apps.

There are countless package delivery companies in the United States, including the big three, the US Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS. Sure, you can track your deliveries using official apps and websites. However, if you get packages delivered from numerous companies, tracking your items like this could prove frustrating and cumbersome. There is a better way. Use all-in-one delivery apps instead.

HOW TO STOP ALL THE VOICE ASSISTANTS FROM STORING YOUR VOICE (GOOGLE, ALEXA, CORTANA, SIRI) – Voice assistants, like Google Assistant and Alexa, record what you say after the wake word to send off to company servers. The companies keep your recordings until you delete them. Some companies let you turn that behavior off: here’s how.

Voice Assistants Record You After Their Wake WordVoice assistants work in a straightforward manner. They continually listen to everything you say, all day long. But the device in the room doesn’t have much intelligence. The only thing it can understand is its wake word: Alexa, Hey Google, Hey Cortana, and so on.

26 ACTUALLY USEFUL THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH SIRI – Siri is best known as Apple’s so-called digital personal assistant available on iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad. Some might think Siri is only good for looking stuff up, but it can actually do a great deal more.

The thing about Siri is that can be hard to get used to, but once you do, it is incredibly useful. You can do a fairly wide array of tasks on your iOS device beyond simply looking something up. For example, you can have Siri create reminders, take notes, and set alarms. It can even make changes to system settings. Siri will also adapt to your personal language use and as you use it more and more, will tailor results individually to you.

Siri can easily be activated by holding down the home button on your iOS device until it beeps and the Siri interface appears. On iOS 9, Siri can also now be activated by saying “Hey Siri”, which is invaluable when you’re eating or driving or your iPhone is simply out of reach.

In this article, we want to go through and highlight some of the things that Siri can do. You might be surprised at how versatile and useful it is.

HOW TO LISTEN TO (AND DELETE) EVERY COMMAND YOU’VE EVER GIVEN TO ALEXA – Believe it or not, the Amazon Echo has something similar to what your web browser history is on your computer: Alexa records and logs every single command you’ve ever given. Here’s how to access it and see (and hear) everything you’ve ever said to her.

You might assume that the main screen of the Alexa app shows you past commands that you’ve shouted out. While this is partially true, the main screen is really only there to show you additional info for specific commands.

For example, if you ask Alexa about the weather, you’ll see a weather card appear in the Alexa app, giving you more details about the forecast. If you set a timer, you’ll see that timer appear in the Alexa app, where you can view the time remaining. However, saying something like “Alexa, turn the lights on” won’t appear on the main screen.

With that said, here’s how to see and hear every single command that you’ve ever told Alexa on any of your Alexa devices.

DO iPHONE “SECURITY” APPS ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING? – You don’t need an antivirus app for your iPhone. You won’t find any in the App Store. So what do these “security” apps do? Are they useful, and how exactly are they protecting you? Read more at this How-To-Geek article at http://bit.ly/2wlcmcJ

MY iPHONE SCREEN LOCKS TOO SOON– Cyn Mackley, Tech Whisperer, helped a relative out with this issue recently and since it’s such a super-simple fix, She thought she would show you how to take care of it. Her screen was locking when in not in use much too quickly to suit her taste and she wanted to know if Cyn knew how to fix it. Fortunately, she was able to do it in a few seconds. (Which is great because there’s nothing worse than being a tech writer that has no clue how to fix a tech problem.) If your iPhone screen locks too soon, read Cyn’s article on how to fix it with screenshots: http://bit.ly/2VRfmrs

SAFARI TEST POINTS TO A FUTURE WITH TRACKER-FREE ADS– Apple thinks it has come up with a way for advertisers to track how well their ads are doing without (*gasp*) compromising user privacy.

It sounds like a tall order but according to John Wilander, WebKit engineer and architect of Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), a technology called Privacy Preserving Ad Click Attribution has been added as an experimental feature to Preview 82+ of the Safari browser.

Nobody doubts the industry has a problem. Advertising keeps websites and advertisers afloat but at the expense of all sorts of privacy-bashing tracking that follows, profiles and gathers as much data about users as it can using cross-site tracking. Read more at the NakedSecurity by Sophos article: http://bit.ly/2Ma7fXt

May 19, 2019HOW TO USE SCREEN TIME IN APPLE’S iOS 12 – Are you spending too much time on your iPhone and iPad? With iOS 12, you can set screen time limits for yourself or your child and develop some healthy device habits.

Are you or your kids glued to your smartphones? Do you want to scale back? One of the many cool features in Apple’s iOS 12 is Screen Time, which lets you discover how often you use your phone, where you spend your time, and which apps you use the most.

To help kick your smartphone habit, you can set up different options to block certain apps or limit the time you spend with them on your iPhone or iPad. Since the feature is cloud-based, it can show you how much time you spend on all your iOS devices collectively.

With iOS 12.2, meanwhile, Apple updated the Downtime feature, which grants access to only certain apps and phone calls so you can set specific days and times to schedule Downtime.

If you’re ready to tackle tech addiction, or just keep a closer eye on how much time you’re staring at your phone, here’s how to get started.

Go to this PC Magazine web page and learn all about how to use Screen Time with iOS 12.

UPDATES TO APPLE DEVICES – iOS 12.3, Apple Card first look, Intel vulnerabilities, more: In this week’s top stories: New 2019 iPhone molds, iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3 release, a closer look at Apple Card, and more. Read on for all of this week’s biggest news.

Apple this week released iOS 12.3, watchOS 5.2.1, tvOS 12.3, and macOS 10.14.5 to the public. The new tvOS and iOS updates include Apple’s overhauled TV app with support for Apple TV Channels. Meanwhile, watchOS 5.2.1 packs new Pride watch faces, as well as a fix for the Explorer watch face.

There are lots of new updates to all sort of Apple devices in the 9 to 5 Mac web page. If you have any kind of Apple device start here. http://bit.ly/2w9nyZY

HOW TO SET UP EXPRESS TRANSIT WITH APPLE PAY FOR ANY CARD WITH iOS 12.3 – Express Transit lets you use Apple Pay without requiring authentication like Touch ID or Face ID. This means you can make instant transactions at transit gates and terminals just by tapping your watch or phone.

Until recently, this convenience was limited to special transit cards like Suica in Japan. With iOS 12.3, Apple has now enabled the ability for any credit or debit card to be used with Express Transit. There is a catch though …

In iOS 12.3, anyone can go to setup Express Transit but whether you can use it is a different matter entirely. The problem is Express Transit requires cooperation from each transit system and some banks also aren’t participating.

If you want or need to use the “Express Transit” function with your phone, this is the information you will need. The screenshots are also here. http://bit.ly/2EiYCDI

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO MICROSOFT EXCEL – Microsoft Excel has been around for decades and many have used it since its release. But there are still others who are just now starting to use it. Whether for work, school, or personal use, it can be a little intimidating when you first begin. There are even classes for new Excel users both online and on campuses.

This guide is available to download as a free PDF.

This guide to Excel is for those who have never used it before, are struggling with it as a beginner, or just want the basics to then learn it on their own.

Go to this MakeUseOf web site and get a great look at beginners Excel. The free PDF is a link on the web page, for offline use. http://bit.ly/2YEQSDx

5 GMAIL SEARCH TRICKS EVERY POWER USER SHOULD KNOW – It’s hard to feel like Gmail isn’t due a major overhaul. Many of Google’s other productivity apps—such as Calendar, News, and Keep—have been redesigned in the last 18 months. Surely Gmail is next?

When the upgrade eventually happens, Google will hopefully include some additional filters and inbox management tools. Until then, you’ll need to memorize a few search terms if you want to perform some “inbox gymnastics.”

Here are some useful search tricks every Gmail power user should know.

Go to this MakeUseOf web site and take a look at the Gmail search tricks. They will help you find emails that are in your long list of past emails. http://bit.ly/2JuQCns

HOW TO SHARE YOUR WI-FI PASSWORD BETWEEN iPHONES – iOS has a built-in feature that lets you quickly share Wi-Fi passwords between devices by bringing them near each other. It uses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and each user’s Apple ID to securely share the password between devices.

Sharing your Wi-Fi password can be a frustrating endeavor. If you have you have a complicated Wi-Fi password with letters, numbers, and special characters, that can be a real pain for your Aunt Edna coming to visit on Thanksgiving. But as of iOS 11, Wi-Fi sharing between iPhones and iPads is a piece of cake! There are three things you need to check before you can do it, though.

Go to this How-To- Geek web site and see the short steps with screenshots. It can save you a lot of time when people come to visit. http://bit.ly/2WlkBUV

HOW TO SAVE BATTERY LIFE ON YOUR IPHONE – Tired of constantly charging your iPhone? These Apple iPhone battery tips and tricks will help get you through the day without a charge.

It’s tough to exist without a smartphone these days, and with so much of our life contained inside these tiny devices, we don’t want them running out of juice at an inopportune time.

The iPhone XS Max$1,099.99 at Verizon Wireless has nearly a 10-hour battery life. And Apple last year offered cheap battery replacements after it was caught secretly slowing down older iPhones. But everyone would love to eke out a few more minutes (or hours) from their smartphone.

No, you don’t have to disable everything; many individual features can be quickly toggled on or off. Here is what you can do right now to boost your iPhone’s battery life, and hopefully make it through the day without having to recharge.

Go to this PC Magazine web site and learn 16 different steps to take saving that iPhone battery power. http://bit.ly/2HsgrSN

iOS 13 LIKELY TO DROP SUPPORT FOR A LOT OF OLDER HARDWARE – iOS 11 and 12 have been kind to those running older iPhones and iPads, not only giving older devices extra time but also a performance boost. But a report suggests that iOS 13 will drop support for a number of older iPhones and iPads.

iOS 12, released last September, was particularly good at supporting older hardware. We’d expected that the aging iPhone 5S – which is almost six years old – would be dropped, but iOS 12 carried forward the same hardware support list as iOS 11, which was good for both owners of older devices (who got an extra year of use), and Apple (which got to grow its base of active devices).

Not only that, but iOS 12 gave older devices a surprise performance boost. But it looks like iOS 13 will be the end of the line for the iPhone 5S, along with a handful of other devices. Read more of this ZDNet article at: https://zd.net/2HmvP34

LOST OR STOLEN iPHONE? HERE’S HOW TO GET IT BACK– Losing your iPhone ($1,000 at Amazon) or having it stolen is one of the worst feelings ever. When you rely on your phones for nearly everything, the idea of being disconnected from the outside world is stressful at the least and terrifying at the most. And with Apple’s recent announcement of the Apple Card, a credit card relies on an iPhone for everything from sign up to paying your bill, losing your iPhone is about to get a whole lot more complicated. There’s also the cost to consider. iPhones are getting more and more expensive — losing your pricey investment isn’t something any of us wants.

There are steps you can take to help reduce the risk of losing a phone, and using Apple’s Find My iPhone service is the key to securing and recovering a lost phone. Read more of this c|net article at https://cnet.co/2EeqaKq

HOW TO STOP ROBOCALLS ON iPHONE AND ANDROID – The US has a robocall problem. These are the calls made to your phone that deliver a prerecorded message that often wants you to do something. Sometimes it’s a message from a candidate running for office. Or a call from your bank advertising a new service. More worrisome are the scammy robocalls — posing, say, as the “IRS” — that intend to scam people out of their money. On May 14, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed giving carriers like Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile the authority to block some of these robocalls by default and allowing customers to block calls from unknown numbers. Read more of this c|net article at: https://cnet.co/2JMHFoS

May 9, 2019HOW TO DETECT HIDDEN SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS WITH YOUR PHONE – A family recently discovered a rude surprise at their Airbnb: a hidden camera disguised as a smoke detector in the living room. Here are two ways to check for cameras—in an Airbnb or elsewhere—using only an iPhone or Android phone.

If you’re staying in a hotel or an Airbnb, hidden cameras can be a worry. In the case of Airbnb, your host is required to list any cameras they have, whether or not they’re turned on. Additionally, Airbnb does not allow hosts to place cameras in bathrooms or sleeping areas, even if that’s a living room with a foldout bed.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and see how to discover what is connected to the same internet network you are connected to, with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2VaGGVu

WHAT IS BLUETOOTH AND WHAT CAN I USE IT FOR? – Isn’t it funny how you can know that a thing exists, you use that thing, but that’s all you know about it? Bluetooth is definitely one of those them. You’ll be surprised at where that odd name came from, too. Read through to the end to find out.

HOW TO LOCATE YOUR APPLE WATCH WITH THE FIND MY WATCH FEATURE – In an unfortunate situation where you lose your Apple Watch, you can use the Find My Watch feature to find it. And if the worst happens, you can remotely wipe it to save your personal data.

Just like your phone and other tech devices, you might be in a situation where you lose your Apple Watch. Sometimes it’s in the couch cushions or behind the nightstand. Maybe you leave it at work or your friend’s house. Or, if the worse happens it’s stolen or gone and not retrievable. Luckily, if you lose your Apple Watch, you’re not completely out of luck. Whatever the case, Apple includes the “Find My Watch” feature that provides options to find it. Here is a look at what you can do.

Also, keep in mind that finding your watch will be limited to the hardware you have. For example, all Apple Watches within Bluetooth range of the iPhone can be found. Which is perfect if you’ve just misplaced your watch somewhere in your home or office. But you’ll have more of an advantage with Apple Watch Series 2 or later that have built-in Wi-Fi or GPS, and cellular.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR FACEBOOK PASSWORD ON iPHONE – Want to know how to quickly change your Facebook password on iPhone? Read on below for how to do it in three easy steps.

Whether you want to update your Facebook password after hearing about a security breach or are just doing some routine account updates, it’s good practice to regularly change your passwords.

Make sure to use a unique password for each of your accounts. Making use of a password manager like 1Password or even the built-in AutoFill password manager with iOS/macOS makes the process more seamless.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR FACEBOOK PASSWORD ON iPHONE

Open Facebook on iPhone and tap the tab with 3 lines in the bottom right corner

Swipe down and choose Settings & Privacy, then Privacy Shortcuts

Swipe down a bit more and tap Change your password.

Here’s how the process looks:

change Facebook password iPhone walkthrough

HOW TO SEARCH THE SETTINGS ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – There are a lot of different iPhone and iPad settings, and with each new version of iOS, the list grows. Luckily, Apple realized the possibilities were starting to be overwhelming and added a search bar in the Settings app back when it released iOS 9. I’ve found this particularly useful when I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for, but I know what it pertains to.

Go to this iPhone life web page and get the procedure for searching the Settings app.

INCOGNITO MODE COMING TO GOOGLE MAPS AND SEARCH – Google first introduced Incognito Mode years ago with the release of the Chrome browser. Now, as part of a larger push to enhance consumer privacy, the search giant is adding Incognito Mode to both Google Search and Google Maps.

When Incognito Mode is engaged in Chrome, your activities aren’t stored in your browser history. It also disables cookies, which are used to identify and sometimes track individuals around the web and turns off browser extensions. It doesn’t hide your online activity, as a VPN would.

Incognito mode for Google Maps will be similar, Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained in a blog post. Once Incognito Mode is engaged in Maps, “you can search and navigate without linking this activity with your Google account,” he wrote. Read more of this PCMag article: http://bit.ly/2Jtwykf

SWITCHING FROM MAC TO LINUX? 5 TIPS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER – There are a lot of things to love about macOS, but there are definitely issues with using it. One of the bigger problems is that it’s exclusive to Apple computers. If you don’t like the hardware the company offers, you’re out of luck when it comes to using macOS.

If you’re looking for a desktop operating system that runs on top of a solid Unix-based foundation, Linux can be a good alternative. To make it easier to get used to Linux, you might want to make your installation a little more Mac-like. Read more of this Kris Wouk MakeUseOf article: http://bit.ly/2Dr3giH

HOW TO CLEAN A COMPUTER KEYBOARD– From a simple chassis shakedown to removing all the key caps and the outer shell and giving certain bits a bath, these tips will help you banish that keyboard grime. Typing can be such a messy business. Whether you’re a gamer, a hard-working professional, or both, you’re bound to get your hands on something gunky prior to clicking and clacking away at your keyboard. When all that sludge and silt becomes too much, you’ll have to undertake that most thankless of PC tasks: cleaning your keyboard. Nasty!

The good news is that you can do it using tools you’ll find around your house. Learn how at this Gabe Grey PC Mag article: http://bit.ly/2vuetdg

iPHONE OTHER STORAGE: WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO YOU DELETE IT? – You’re trying to download and install the latest iOS release, or take some photos, or download that cool app your friend told you about, and your iPhone says the storage is full.

You’ve already deleted every app you don’t think you need, and there’s still not enough space. So you look at your iPhone storage in Settings page and, sure enough, your iPhone’s storage is full. Worst of all, a huge chunk of it is just categorized as Other. What’s that supposed to mean? How do you get rid of it?

The Other storage is mysterious and confusing, and there’s no one answer that works for everyone, but hopefully this guide will help you deal with this problem.

Go to this Mac World web page and get the steps to clean up storage on your iPhone. http://bit.ly/2KwA5k4

Although cutting the cable TV cord can save you money, it also involves more potential points of failure.

With cable or satellite TV, a technician hooks up one of their company’s set-top boxes, which in turn connects to your TV, and it generally just works. With streaming video, you must account for internet speed, Wi-Fi connectivity, the capabilities of your streaming device, and your individual streaming services, which have their own unique set of reliability issues.

All of this makes troubleshooting more complicated if you run into problems such as buffering or poor video quality. Instead of trying solutions willy-nilly, it’s best to walk through a series of specific steps to isolate the source of the problem. Consider this your ultimate step-by-step guide to dealing with buffering and other streaming-video issues:

HOW TO CREATE AND PRINT LABELS IN WORD – If you’re looking to make customized labels, look no further than Microsoft Word. Whether for personal or professional use, Word provides a comprehensive feature set for creating personalized mailing labels. Here’s how to do it.

SEVEN GOOGLE MAPS ALTERNATIVES AND WHY THEY’RE BETTER – Even if you’ve used Google Maps for years, you may be missing out. Try out a few of these Google Maps alternatives and see if they might be better for your mapping needs.

Google Maps is an excellent navigation and mapping tool, but there are actually many Google Maps alternatives that are as good or better for a number of reasons. Your choice of mapping tool really depends on how you plan your trips, and how you use your maps. Do you like planning out your trips at home on your computer, or are you doing most of your trip planning and navigation from your phone?

The following list highlights the features and all of the pros and cons of each Google Maps alternative so that you can choose the perfect mapping tool for your situation.

HOW TO SET UP AUTO-REPLY FOR TEXTS & CALLS WITH DO NOT DISTURB – Have you ever wished you could set up an auto-reply text message on your iPhone for times when you can’t or don’t want respond to text messages? Well, Do Not Disturb While Driving has an auto-reply feature that sends a message to people who text you letting them know you’re driving and can’t reply. If you want to send auto-replies even when you’re not driving, all you have to do is customize the message and then use Do Not Disturb While Driving instead of the regular Do Not Disturb when you are in meetings or are otherwise unable to answer texts. Here’s how to set this feature to be used with ease!

iPHONE PHOTO SAVING & SHARING GUIDE: TEXT, EMAIL, AIRDROP, SHARED ALBUMS & SOCIAL MEDIA – One of my favorite uses for my iPhone is taking and sharing pictures, but with so many different methods and platforms, it can get a little tricky. In this guide, I’ll cover everything I’ve learned about saved images and photos, including how to save and share them from text and iMessage, from email, with AirDrop and iCloud, from Shared Albums, and even social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. After we cover that range of topics, we’ll go over how to transfer pictures from your iPhone to your Mac and PC so you can keep your photos and albums organized and safe. Let’s get started!

Go to this iPhone life web page and get the procedure with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2UVY2oM (16 plus different procedures)

HOW TO LIST ALL APPLICATIONS ON A MAC– MacOS applications are installed a bit differently than Windows. Since they’re almost always single .app files, you can move them around your hard drive much easier. Find out how to track down the ones you lost with this How-To-Geek article (with screenshots): http://bit.ly/2UHUlD6

THE 50 BEST MAC TIPS, TRICKS AND TIMESAVERS– Now that macOS Mojave is here, there’s never been a better time to explore everything your Mac can do for you – and it may be more than you think. Your Mac, just with its native software, can do so many things that Windows 10 needs expensive third party tools to perform.

One of the major benefits that a Mac can offer is the fact that you don’t need to rely on third party apps like you do with Windows devices – on the best Macs, everything just works. Whether you’re trying to sign documents, do some light photo editing or even combine multiple PDFs, macOS will let you do it with its native software. So, to help you do all of this, we’ve come up with a guide to 50 useful Mac tips and tricks, so you can take your Mac expertise to the extreme.

This easily digestible list comprises the 50 top Mac tips we could think of and organizes them into bite-sized slides. Click or tap ‘Next’ to dive in at this TechRadar article: http://bit.ly/2WPzvyY

HOW TO CREATE AND MANAGE ALARMS ON YOUR APPLE WATCH – You can have alarms set on your iPhone ring through to your Apple Watch. But unlike manually updating your Apple Watch, for alarms, your iPhone and watch don’t need to be tethered. The alarms set directly on your watch are different than using the Clock app on your iPhone. For example, if you create an alarm on your Apple Watch, it isn’t going to show up in the Clock app and ring on your iPhone and vice-versa.

MIRROR IMAGE PHOTOS? HOW TO FLIP PICTURES WITH A PHOTO EDITOR APP – We’ve all had the experience by now of taking a selfie and realizing that the finished product is not the mirror image we’re used to seeing. Even though a flip image like this is an accurate photo, it looks strange, and it sure would be nice to have a way to flip it back. Unfortunately, neither the iPhone Camera app nor the Photos app has a way to mirror photos, so we’ll need to find a third-party iPhone photo editor. Let’s get started going over a few apps I’ve researched for editing, and specifically, flipping your images so they look how you’d hoped they would.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR FACETIME CALLER ID ON iPHONE AND iPAD – When you make FaceTime calls on iPhone and iPad, recipients see your caller ID—an email or phone number. If that caller ID isn’t what they expect, they won’t know who’s calling. Here’s how to change your caller ID.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY PHOTO STREAM AND ICLOUD PHOTOS? – Keeping your family photos safe from device failure is the primary reason backups exist. iCloud claims to back up all your photos “in the cloud,” but the way it works varies depending on what settings you have enabled.

HOW TO MAKE FOLDERS FOR THE NOTES APP ON iPHONE, iPAD, AND MAC – Do you have lots of notes saved across your Apple devices and want to get more organized? Read along for how to make folders for the Notes app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Apple’s Notes app on iOS and macOS has become more and more feature packed over the years. Along with its evolution, it has become easier to rely on the app for storing more and more notes. Follow along below to get going with organizing your notes with folders.

AirPlay – Dedicated TV controls in Control Center and on the Lock Screen give you quick access to TV controls. AirPlay multitasking for video allows you to browse other apps, as well as play other short form audio and video files locally on your device without interrupting AirPlay. AirPlay destinations are now grouped by content type making it faster for you to find what device you want to play to.

Screen Time – Downtime can be configured with a different schedule for each day of the week. A new toggle enables easily turning app limits on or off temporarily

Safari – Website sign-in now occurs automatically after filling credentials with Password AutoFill. Warnings now appear when loading unencrypted webpages. Removes support for the expired Do Not Track standard to prevent potential use as a fingerprinting variable; Intelligent Tracking Prevention now protects against cross-site tracking by default. Smart Search Field queries can now be modified by tapping the arrow icon next to search suggestions.

Apple Music – The Browse tab shows more editorial highlights on a single page making it easier to discover new music, playlists, and more.

A MAC USER’S GUIDE TO THE GOOGLE CHROME BROWSER – Though Safari is the default browser for most mac OS users, some have to use Chrome.

Estimates vary but perhaps a third of Mac users choose to use the Chrome browser on their Apple system for some reason. If that’s you, you’ll benefit from these Computerworld How-To tips: http://bit.ly/2YaV1j9

HOW TO CONTROL WHICH APPS CAN ACCESS YOUR IPHONE’S HEALTH DATA – Your iPhone knows a lot about your health, especially if you use apps like MyFitnessPal or track your activity using an Apple Watch. If given permission, apps can access that data. Here’s how to check which apps have access to your data.

We’ve shown how it can keep tabs on your location and expose that data to apps before, but what about your health data? The Health app collects as much data as you can give it, and if you’re using apps for tracking your weight, calories, blood pressure, and more, that can be a lot. If you’re wearing an Apple Watch, it can be even more information than you may realize.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR DIGITAL LIFE FOR YOUR DEATH – Death is inevitable. Don’t make it harder on those you leave behind. Here’s how to let loved ones manage passwords, sensitive data, and social media profiles after you die.

Our own death is as somber as it is inevitable. But as we live more of our lives online, it’s more important than ever to make sure loved ones can access digital accounts when we’re gone. Don’t be the guy who locked cryptocurrency exchange customers out of $250 million after his death because only he knew the password.

There are a number of ways loved ones can request access to your accounts once you’re gone, but they don’t need that stress. Several online services allow you to designate legacy contacts or grant access after a period of inactivity. Here’s how to make sure that those you leave behind are able to manage your affairs when you can’t anymore.

HOW TO CAPTURE SCREENSHOTS ON YOUR PHONE AND COMPUTER – Sometimes you want to keep a copy of something you’re looking at on your computer or phone screen but it’s not a file that can be saved or website that can be bookmarked and replicated in exactly the same way. Read more of this Techlicious article at: http://bit.ly/2TYt1jI

HOW TO QUICKLY SEARCH A WEBSITE USING SHORTCUTS ON iPHONE AND iPAD – Apple’s Shortcuts app is as powerful as you want to make it, and it can do some incredible things if you know how to wrangle it. You can also use it for some super simple things, like searching a website for text.

If you find yourself needing to search a website for something regularly, then you’re no doubt familiar with the site search operator. Head to Google—or use the address bar—and enter “site:nameofsite.com keywords” to search that site. Searching the How-To Geek website for Shortcuts, for example, would require “site:howtogeek.com shortcuts” and you’ll be rewarded with the results.

It isn’t a complicated process, but it’s cumbersome to type out every time. That brings us to Shortcuts. Read more of this How-To-Geek article with screenshots: http://bit.ly/2Tm3zVW

SIRI SHORTCUTS AND GOOGLE ASSISTANT LEARN TO PRINT AND SCAN DOCUMENTS WITH EPSON PRINTERS – Epson is today adding support for voice assistants to its printers including Siri and Google Assistant. For iOS, users will be able to create a Siri Shortcut to quickly print and scan documents.

It’ll be as easy as taking a picture, initiating a Siri Shortcut, and printing the document all without having to leave the Camera app. You’ll also be able to do other things such as scan a document, ask for your printer’s current ink levels, and more.

Go to this 9 to 5 Mac web site and read the article. It is great if you have an Epson Printer. http://bit.ly/2NhmoDk

HOW TO CHANGE THE DEFAULT EMAIL ACCOUNT ON iPHONE – Do you have multiple email accounts on your iPhone but use one more than the rest? Read on for how to change the default email account on iPhone.

Changing the default email account on your iPhone makes your workflow more efficient as it will be the account that pops up when you compose a new email. It’s also the email account that’s used when sharing content with others from Safari, Apple’s other first-party apps, and third-party apps.

HOW TO CANCEL APP SUBSCRIPTIONS ON iPHONE OR iPAD – Apple’s App Store is full of apps with in-app subscriptions. That’s great news for developers, and it’s great for users who don’t want apps to go away. But if you don’t use an app, why not cancel your subscription?

Canceling a subscription to an iPhone or iPad app hasn’t always been the easiest thing to do, because Apple hasn’t always made the process obvious. Even if you did know. the chances are good that you do it so infrequently that you have forgotten, and there’s always the chance that Apple changed something in a recent iOS update.

Apple did in fact recently change how iPhone and iPad owners cancel subscriptions via the App Store, and thankfully, it’s now easier than ever. As with all things in life, however, these things are only easy if you know how—and we’re going to make sure you do.

HOW TO FIX AN ECHO OR GOOGLE HOME THAT WON’T CONNECT TO WI-FI – Congratulations, you have a new Google Home or Amazon Echo device! But for some reason, even though you’re confident you have the password correct, it won’t connect to Wi-Fi. The good news is, there are easy solutions to try.

Whether you have a new Google Home or new Amazon Echo device, setup should be easy. As long as you have the correct accounts created, the apps walk you through all the steps in a straightforward manner. But occasionally you might get hung up on connecting to Wi-Fi, even when you’re sure you have the password correct. Often, the problem isn’t your password but the network you’ve chosen or that your smartphone is trying to maintain a working internet connection.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and read the article with hints on how to fix this problem. http://bit.ly/2UXsgUX

HOW TO SET UP AND USE FIND MY iPHONE – Do you want to enable the option to play a sound and locate your iPhone and other Apple devices?

Find My iPhone is a handy security and device tracking feature built-in to iOS. And with the latest software, iOS 12, you can even use Siri and HomePod to play a sound on your devices with Find My iPhone and easily locate them.

WHAT IS GOOGLE VOICE AND HOW DO I USE IT? – If you’re using Google services like Gmail and Google Docs, you may have heard about Google Voice, but are unsure what it is. Google Voice is a free service offered by Google that provides you with a cloud-based phone number you can use from anywhere. The service includes free phone calls, free voicemail, and integration with mobile devices.

HOW TO USE YOUR MAC SAFELY IN PUBLIC PLACES – Coffee shops across the planet are populated by earnest Apple Mac-wielding remote and/or freelance workers – but are they taking steps to protect themselves in a public place? Follow the checklist at this Computer World article to make sure you are protected. http://bit.ly/2Gteczs

WAZE FOR iOS NOW WORKS WITH SIRI SHORTCUTS, supporting custom voice commands and more – Popular navigation app Waze for iOS has received an update today that brings Siri Shortcuts to users. The new integration means users can set up useful automation for specific locations or routes like your drive home.

The Google-owned company that celebrates an annual “Tim Cook Day” has brought the Apple AI integration to its app after launching its Carpool service and CarPlay integration to iPhone users last fall.

Waze rolled out an update via the App Store today with the sole change of adding Siri Shortcuts support. The company notes use cases like setting up automation for your “drive home” or “favorite places.”

Here are the full release notes:

Saving time & avoiding traffic is even easier with this update: – Use Siri Shortcuts to drive with Waze. Record shortcuts for your drive home, your favorite places, and more.

HOW TO ACCESS iCLOUD ON iPHONE, iPAD, MAC, AND THE WEB – iCloud is Apple’s cloud platform to save and synchronize data like photos, videos, contacts, notes, documents, and also store backups. If you’re not quite sure where to go to see and manage your saved data, follow along for how to access iCloud on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the web.

Apple gives users 5GB worth of free iCloud storage space, after that you’ll need to pay for more starting at $0.99 a month.

Something to keep in mind to help you understand how iCloud works is that it’s woven in throughout Apple’s software on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Another way to think of this is your data in various apps like Photos, Notes, Contacts, and more are viewable on each of your devices, but are saved and synchronized with Apple’s servers via iCloud (depending on your settings).

As separate portion of iCloud is iCloud Backups. They aren’t designed so that you can open them like a folder and see everything that’s inside. Rather, they are like a sealed package that is used when you restore an iPhone or iPad from the iCloud backup.

Another way to think about it is iCloud Backups are just a clone of your iPhone or iPad, and you won’t use that clone unless you get a new device or need to erase or restore your entire device for some reason.

HOW TO SEND SECURE MESSAGES WITH GMAIL CONFIDENTIAL MODE – Would you like to add an extra layer of security to important messages you send through Gmail? With Gmail’s Confidential mode you can do just that. It allows you to send important confidential email messages that you want to protect from unauthorized access. It allows you to set expiration dates for messages, requires a passcode, and revoke access at any time. In addition, the option to forward, copy, download, and print will be disabled for the recipient.

It’s a relatively new but an overlooked feature that has been with the consumer Gmail since the summer of 2018. Note that at the time of this writing the feature is not yet available for G Suite for businesses. Here is a look at how to send and receive messages using Confidential mode.

HOW TO CHECK YOUR iPAD TRADE-IN VALUE – Looking into upgrading your iPad or just want to know what your current tablet is worth? Read on for how to check your iPad trade-in value and make sure you get the best price possible.

There are a variety of ways to trade-in your current iPad for a credit towards a new one. Most trade-in programs do require a new purchase. However, some may not, but you may not get quite as much as the trade-in options if you’re picking up a new iPad.

Here are some great options to make sure you’re getting the most for your iPad trade-in.

iMESSAGE FEATURES TO AVOID WITH YOUR GREEN BUBBLE ANDROID BUDDIES – There are a lot of cool things you can do in iMessage other than just sending text messages to your friends and family, but for your compatriots that use Android, you’ll want to skip these specific iMessage features, since they don’t work on Google’s mobile OS.

Keep in mind; some iMessage features still work with Android, albeit maybe not as well as they would with other iPhones. I’ll cover both sides of the spectrum so that you know what exactly does and doesn’t work with Android.

Go to this How-To-Geek website and read about what will and will NOT work when using text to an Android device. http://bit.ly/2GylzF1

HERE’S HOW TO UNSEND MESSAGES ON FACEBOOK MESSENGER – Last year, it was revealed that Mark Zuckerberg had an option to “unsend” messages that were sent on Facebook Messenger. Once that info came out, everyone who uses Messenger wanted in on the functionality too—and now Facebook is delivering.

So, to be clear, the current “delete” option on Facebook Messenger only removes the message for you—the recipient can still see it. That also means it’s still on Facebook’s Messenger servers. The Unsend feature, by contrast, will allow users to completely remove the message as if it never happened.

Of course, there’s a catch: it’s limited to a small, 10-minute window. That means you won’t be able to run back through old messages and unsend anything you want, which is both a bummer and a logical move. Still, if you say something and immediately regret it, you’ll be able to unsend it starting today. Here’s how.

HOW TO RECOVER DELETED PHOTOS FROM AN iPHONE OR iPAD – Chances are they’re gone, but there are a few places you can check.

There’s something reassuring about digitally stored photos. Unlike the ones we used to stow in shoeboxes and albums, they can remain available, searchable, easily accessible, and un-degraded.

Until you delete them. Then your most-precious memories may be gone for good.

If you delete media from an iOS device, you may be able to recover them, especially if you act quickly.

Go to this Mac World web page and find out how to recover those deleted photos if at all possible. http://bit.ly/2RNNZwI

WHY IT’S DANGEROUS TO SHARE YOUR BIRTHDAY ONLINE – A birthday isn’t something you might think of as being private information you should keep secret. Almost everyone celebrates them on social media, and quite a few people post them on their profile. That’s a horrible idea; here’s why.

Alongside the model of your first car and your mother’s maiden name, your birthday is perhaps the most common security question asked on most websites.

It’s much easier for a hacker to find out your birthday than “the street you grew up on.”

When I upgraded to a new phone at a Verizon store, they asked me for two things: my phone number and my birthday. Nothing else.

Heck, if you were born in the USA and have a social security number, people can use your birthday and place of birth to guess your social security number. Social security numbers were linked to birth location up until 2011 when randomization began, so everyone born before then has a more predictable social security number.

Your birthday isn’t the only dangerous thing to share; identity thieves can also make good use of details like your birthplace and mother’s maiden name. And it’s tough to avoid sharing these details online.

DUCKDUCKGO SWITCHES TO PRIVACY-FOCUSED APPLE MAPS TO ‘SET A NEW STANDARD OF TRUST ONLINE – DuckDuckGo, the popular search engine alternative to Google has announced today that its address and map searches on mobile and desktop are now powered by Apple’s MapKit JS framework. DuckDuckGo is one of the first companies to rely on MapKit for its data and touts the privacy that the move brings to its users.

DuckDuckGo shared the news on its blog:

We’re excited to announce that map and address-related searches on DuckDuckGo for mobile and desktop are now powered by Apple’s MapKit JS framework, giving you a valuable combination of mapping and privacy. As one of the first global companies using Apple MapKit JS, we can now offer users improved address searches, additional visual features, enhanced satellite imagery, and continually updated maps already in use on billions of Apple devices worldwide.

The company said it is excited to be working with Apple to “set a new standard of trust online, and we hope you’ll enjoy this update.” It is also seeking feedback from users to help improve searches.

The update means Apple Maps will be seen in DuckDuckGo as embedded in private search results as well as in the Maps tab.

HOW TO GET AROUND ACTIVATION LOCK ON IPHONE, IPAD, AND IPOD TOUCH – Having trouble with a locked iOS device? Follow along for how to get around Activation Lock on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Activation Lock is a security feature that is turned on when Find My iPhone (iPad, iPod) is enabled. Here’s how Apple describes it:

When you turn on Find My iPhone on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, your Apple ID is securely stored on Apple’s activation servers and linked to your device. From that point on, your Apple ID password or device passcode is required before anyone can turn off Find My iPhone, erase your device, or reactivate and use your device.

This is different than the iOS device passcode. You’ll see a screen like the image above asking for the Apple ID email and password if you’re having trouble with Activation Lock.

To find out how to reactivate your iPhone or get around Activation Lock, go to this 9 to 5 Mac web site and read the article. If you can’t remember your Apple ID; Apple Password or Security Questions, you need to visit this web site. http://bit.ly/2RxQ0BG

HOW TO USE THE iPHONE’S TODAY VIEW AND MANAGE ITS WIDGETS – The Today View on the iPhone gives you quick access to information from your favorite apps. Here’s how to use and manage it.

The iPhone has a Today View that provides access to at-a-glance information from your most-used apps. It’s a great way to use your apps without actually tapping them on the Home screen. For example, the Weather widget in Today View shows the local forecast. You can even access Today View from the iPhone’s Lock screen.

Here’s how to access and manage the widgets in Today View. Go to this Macworld web page and get the steps with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2ROj0Vb

HOW TO RECOVER DELETED FILES FROM iCLOUD DRIVE – Losing files is gut-wrenching, especially if it’s an important work document or pictures of your kids. Online storage solutions usually offer a way to restore deleted files, and iCloud is no different. The process is convoluted, but we’ll hold your hand all the way.

STOP USING SKYPE & START USING ZOOM – Again, I am a bit disheartened to be saying this about a service I have long loved, by Skype is no longer on my favorites list. I used to be a huge enthusiast but then Microsoft got their grubby mitts on it and the Redmond virus is slowly degrading what was once a magnificent product that totally revolutionized the telecom industry.

The current MacOS version in particular, is a travesty. Don’t even get me started on it. As far as Windows is concerned, the day they scrapped the standalone desktop version in favor of the Windows 10 store app was the day I used bad words very liberally.

So, what are the alternatives? Well, thankfully you do have a lot of options when it comes to VOIP and video conferencing. I can’t believe I’m saying this but Facebook Messenger is actually quite good. So is Signal, and if you are an iOS user, Facetime kicks butt.

But my all-time favorite now is Zoom, which is earning rave reviews and plaudits from users. High-quality audio and video rarely dropped calls, and group chats are just a few of the great things about it. There is a browser extension and, of course, smartphone apps.

FACETIME GUIDE FOR iPHONE & iPAD: MAKING GROUP CALLS, USING AUDIO OR VIDEO & MORE – A phone call where you can see the person on the other end in real time; it used to be the stuff of science fiction. In 2010, though, Apple made it a reality when Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4 and FaceTime at WWDC 2010. Through the years FaceTime has evolved and improved to include more devices and capabilities, until with Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 12.1, we finally have group FaceTime, where up to 32 people can use the audio-video feature at once. Since FaceTime has expanded so considerably, the time has come for a guide that includes all the different ways to use the service on iPhone and iPad. We’ll cover how to make and join a call using the FaceTime app, iMessages, and Siri, as well as how to use Group FaceTime, Memoji, and Animoji. Let’s get started!

STOP USING GOOGLE SEARCH & START USING DUCKDUCKGO – Google has always been, is, and will continue to be “THE” search engine online. I don’t foresee any possible realistic scenario where someone is going to topple them from the throne. But that doesn’t mean you automatically have to drink their Kool-Aid. In fact, from a privacy point of view, you should NOT be using them.

Instead, use DuckDuckGo. There are many other similar privacy-focused search engines but I like DuckDuckGo (despite the silly name). The ironic thing about people who adamantly declare that they will never stop using Google is that they don’t realize that DDG uses Google’s search index. The only difference is that DDG strips out all the tracking first before delivering the results to you.

So, in other words, you are getting the same results but no adverts based on what you’ve just searched for. How is that a bad thing?

15 SECRET TRICKS AND TIPS INSIDE iOS 12– Many are big, flashy, in-your-face features. Just as many are little hidden tricks that only a true iOS aficionado will find fascinating.

Apple released iOS 12 in September 2018, and it has since gone through several dot revs (as of this writing, we’re at 12.1.2). That’s plenty of time to have figured it all out, right?

Anyone can with iOS gets a pretty simple operating system, so it’s easy to get going. But with each new version there comes new innovation and new options.

Since iOS 12 works on iPhones from the 5s on up, the iPod touch, and iPads going back to 2013’s iPad Air, that’s a lot of devices that can take advantage of Apple’s latest mobile software upgrades. The new stuff featured below are the items that should push you from casual user to power user in no time. Show your friends and relatives and you’ll soon be their iPhone guru (for better or worse). Read more at this PCMag article: http://bit.ly/2CWdaHW

HOW TO ENABLE USB RESTRICTED MODE TO PROTECT THE DATA ON YOUR IPHONE – If you lose sight of your phone in a public place, like leaving it plugged into the wall of the coffee shop while you do some remote work, your data is susceptible to USB hacking tools such as keyloggers. USB Restricted Mode can help secure your data by preventing access to the Lightning port after your device has been locked for an hour.

HOW TO CREATE HANDY SHORTCUTS FOR CALL REMINDERS ON iPHONE, iPAD. (AND MAC) – Apple’s Reminders app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac has a fun feature built-in when you ask Siri to create reminders for phone calls. Read on for how to create handy shortcuts for call reminders on iPhone and iPad.

Interesting enough, this fun little trick only works with Siri. If you type in the same text for a reminder, you won’t get the shortcut to make the call.

How to create shortcuts for call reminders on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Activate Siri (Press and hold your Side button or Home button, or say “Hey Siri,” tap the Siri button on Touch Bar or the menu bar on Mac)

Make a request like “Remind me to call Zac at 12:10 pm”

You’ll see a colored phone icon with a shortcut to make your phone call

Here’s what these handy reminders with shortcuts to make calls look like on iPhone:

You can tap the phone icon in reminders to immediately place the call. Alternately, you can firm press (or long press) on the reminder when it pops up to tap Call Now.

A nice feature is when you have multiple contacts with the same name, Siri will ask which one of them you’d like to set the call reminder for. The same applies for your contacts that have multiple phone numbers.

Alternately, you can specify both last name and which phone number for a more seamless experience.

THE BEST WAYS TO READ NEWS ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – The iPhone and iPad are great for consuming news, whether that’s current affairs or the latest on your favorite sports team. The iPad, in particular, is ideally suited to kicking back and reading, and we’re going to tell you how to make the most of it.

With the App Store filled to the brim with new apps for your iPhone or iPad, it can be difficult to know which to download and in some cases, buy. With Apple offering its own news reading app, Apple News, do you even need to try a third-party solution at all? We’d suggest that yes, you do, and we’re going to tell you about some of the apps we use to keep up to speed on what is going on around us, across many different categories.

Some of these apps will be free, and some will require a fee. We’ll let you decide whether reading news is worth paying for.

HOW TO USE YOUR iPHONE AS A FLASHLIGHT – If you find yourself in a situation where you need some extra light, the flash on your iPhone’s camera works great as a flashlight. There are more features to this than you might expect, so here’s how to use it.

HOW iOS’S WI-FI ASSIST WORKS AND HOW IT CAN AFFECT YOUR CELLULAR BILL – A bad Wi-Fi connection can still cause your iPhone (or iPad) to use cellular data.

Added in iOS 9, Wi-Fi Assist recognizes when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, but have a poor or erratic signal. When this happens, Wi-Fi Assist kicks over automatically to cellular for foreground apps to keep data flowing. This feature is enabled by default.

Wi-Fi Assist automatically excludes third-party audio and video streaming and doesn’t relay data from apps working in the background. Nonetheless, some users wound up with surprising cellular bills when they thought they were on Wi-Fi networks—it turned out Wi-Fi Assist used cellular data because the Wi-Fi connections were marginal. (U.S. carriers have largely switched to a fixed or flexible monthly maximum after which your cellular data rate is throttled to a very slow speed, so surprise bills are less likely.)

WHAT IS TV PROVIDER ON iOS AND HOW DO I USE IT? – So, what is the “TV Provider” option on your iPhone or iPad anyway? The TV Provider option has been in place since iOS 10 and it allows you to use the single sign-on feature for the TV apps on your device. Once you set it up, you won’t need to type in your credentials each time for supported TV apps. You sign in using TV Provider once and then you’re good to go. And after it’s set up, you’ll be able to access the supported channels using the TV app on your device. Find out how to use the iOS TV Provider at: http://bit.ly/2RMRd7H

FACETIME GUIDE FOR iPHONE & iPAD: MAKING GROUP CALLS, USING AUDIO OR VIDEO & MORE – A phone call where you can see the person on the other end in real time; it used to be the stuff of science fiction. In 2010, though, Apple made it a reality when Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4 and FaceTime at WWDC 2010. Through the years FaceTime has evolved and improved to include more devices and capabilities, until with Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 12.1, we finally have group FaceTime, where up to 32 people can use the audio-video feature at once. Since FaceTime has expanded so considerably, the time has come for a guide that includes all the different ways to use the service on iPhone and iPad. We’ll cover how to make and join a call using the FaceTime app, iMessages, and Siri, as well as how to use Group FaceTime, Memoji, and Animoji. Let’s get started!

HOW TO ENABLE USB RESTRICTED MODE TO PROTECT THE DATA ON YOUR iPHONE – If you lose sight of your phone in a public place, like leaving it plugged into the wall of the coffee shop while you do some remote work, your data is susceptible to USB hacking tools such as keyloggers. USB Restricted Mode can help secure your data by preventing access to the Lightning port after your device has been locked for an hour.

HOW TO CREATE HANDY SHORTCUTS FOR CALL REMINDERS ON iPHONE, iPAD. (AND MAC) – Apple’s Reminders app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac has a fun feature built-in when you ask Siri to create reminders for phone calls. Read on for how to create handy shortcuts for call reminders on iPhone and iPad.

Interesting enough, this fun little trick only works with Siri. If you type in the same text for a reminder, you won’t get the shortcut to make the call.

How to create shortcuts for call reminders on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Activate Siri (Press and hold your Side button or Home button, or say “Hey Siri,” tap the Siri button on Touch Bar or the menu bar on Mac)

Make a request like “Remind me to call Zac at 12:10 pm”

You’ll see a colored phone icon with a shortcut to make your phone call

Here’s what these handy reminders with shortcuts to make calls look like on iPhone:

You can tap the phone icon in reminders to immediately place the call. Alternately, you can firm press (or long press) on the reminder when it pops up to tap Call Now.

A nice feature is when you have multiple contacts with the same name, Siri will ask which one of them you’d like to set the call reminder for. The same applies for your contacts that have multiple phone numbers.

Alternately, you can specify both last name and which phone number for a more seamless experience.

THE BEST WAYS TO READ NEWS ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – The iPhone and iPad are great for consuming news, whether that’s current affairs or the latest on your favorite sports team. The iPad, in particular, is ideally suited to kicking back and reading, and we’re going to tell you how to make the most of it.

With the App Store filled to the brim with new apps for your iPhone or iPad, it can be difficult to know which to download and in some cases, buy. With Apple offering its own news reading app, Apple News, do you even need to try a third-party solution at all? We’d suggest that yes, you do, and we’re going to tell you about some of the apps we use to keep up to speed on what is going on around us, across many different categories.

Some of these apps will be free, and some will require a fee. We’ll let you decide whether reading news is worth paying for.

HOW TO USE YOUR iPHONE AS A FLASHLIGHT – If you find yourself in a situation where you need some extra light, the flash on your iPhone’s camera works great as a flashlight. There are more features to this than you might expect, so here’s how to use it.

HOW iOS’S WI-FI ASSIST WORKS AND HOW IT CAN AFFECT YOUR CELLULAR BILL – A bad Wi-Fi connection can still cause your iPhone (or iPad) to use cellular data.

Added in iOS 9, Wi-Fi Assist recognizes when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, but have a poor or erratic signal. When this happens, Wi-Fi Assist kicks over automatically to cellular for foreground apps to keep data flowing. This feature is enabled by default.

Wi-Fi Assist automatically excludes third-party audio and video streaming, and doesn’t relay data from apps working in the background. Nonetheless, some users wound up with surprising cellular bills when they thought they were on Wi-Fi networks—it turned out Wi-Fi Assist used cellular data because the Wi-Fi connections were marginal. (U.S. carriers have largely switched to a fixed or flexible monthly maximum after which your cellular data rate is throttled to a very slow speed, so surprise bills are less likely.)

HOW TO BLOCK PHONE AND FACETIME CALLS ON iPHONE AND iPAD – Whether it’s a telemarketer or someone you know who’s annoying you, sometimes the best thing to do is block them from calling or FaceTiming you. Here’s how to do that on your iPhone and iPad.

For iPhone and iPad owners, there are myriad ways someone can contact you, whether that’s a phone call, a FaceTime Audio call, or a FaceTime video call. Despite the many different ways someone could contact you, iOS operates under an all-or-nothing approach. That means that blocking someone from calling you also blocks them from contacting you via FaceTime. As a handy bonus, it also stops them from reaching you over SMS or iMessage, too.

You can block contacts from reaching you in the FaceTime and Phone apps—again, this will block all points of contact, no matter where you do it—and we’ll show you how.

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE APPLE WATCH NOTIFICATIONS – Whether you’d like to see the same notifications on Apple Watch as you do on iPhone, or want to tailor them for each device, read on for how to customize Apple Watch notifications.

Apple Watch can make life simpler, but if you’re receiving all of the notifications from iPhone on your wearable, it may feel like a distracting experience. Luckily watchOS offers granular notification control for Apple Watch.

How to customize Apple Watch notifications

Open the Watch appon iPhone

Tap on Notifications

Tap on the apps that you’d like to customize notifications for

Further down you can toggle off/on third-party app notifications

HOW TO GET A REFUND FROM THE APPLE APP STORE – No matter how much research you do, there is always the chance of getting something that doesn’t work as advertised. That’s when you’re likely to need a refund, and even though Apple doesn’t advertise this, you can indeed get refunds from the App Store.

While Apple might not make a big deal about it, getting a refund from the App Store is not only possible, it’s pretty easy to do. Whether you’re requesting a refund for an in-app purchase or a whole app, the process is the same. It’s worth remembering that even though refunds are possible, this is not a means to get a free trial—Apple still doesn’t offer trials for apps—and it’s likely Apple will clamp down if that’s the route you take. If you bought an app that simply doesn’t work, or is broken in some way, however, a refund is possible.

HOW TO MAKE AND ANSWER CALLS ON AN iPAD – Making and answering calls on your iPad is a little-known feature that can be pretty amazing in use, and all you need is to have your tablet and your iPhone near one another. Thanks to the magic of Apple’s Continuity features, handling calls on an iPad is one of those features that you might forget exists but can be handy if you already have your tablet in front of you.

Before You Get Started

If you want to use your iPad as a big phone, you’ll need to have a couple of prerequisites ticked off before getting started. You’ll need to have an iPhone and iPad that are:

Connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Logged into the same iCloud account in Settings.

Running iOS 8.1 or later, which shouldn’t be too hard at this point.

Assuming all of those boxes are checked, let’s move on. Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the information plus screen shots. http://bit.ly/2QkoV3F

HOW TO TURN APPLE WATCH ON AND OFF – Whether you’re new to Apple Watch or you just haven’t needed to power your wearable on or off in a while, follow along for how to turn Apple Watch on and off.

In day-to-day use, you won’t really need to turn Apple Watch on or off, but there are some cases where it may be needed. It’s good to also keep in mind in some cases, new Apple Watches may need to be charged before powering on for the first time.

Use the touchscreen to move the POWER OFFslider over and power down your Apple Watch

Alternately, if you’re running low on battery, you can enable power reserve mode which will still give you the current time while being battery efficient.

Swipe up from your watch face to reveal Control Center, then tap on the battery percentage as shown below.

Here’s how the process looks:

How to adjust Display Zoom on iPhone and iPad

As displays get larger, text is seemingly getting smaller. On certain iOS devices, Apple offers an option to adjust Display Zoom, which not only makes text larger, but things like the Home screen icons.

Follow along to learn how to enable Display Zoom.

How to adjust Display Zoom on iPhone and iPad

Note that Display Zoom is only available on iPhone 6/7/8 (Plus), iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and the third-generation iPad Pro 12.9-inch.

How to Disable and Deactivate iMessage on iPhone or iPadOliver Haslam

Apple’s iMessage is one of the most popular messaging platforms around, and it’s a great way for Apple to lock people into its ecosystem. As great as iMessage is, there may still be times you need to disable or complete deactivate it.

Some of those times may be down to good old-fashioned troubleshooting (or perhaps you really did make the jump to Android) Whatever your reasons, you will not only need to turn iMessage off on your iPhone or iPad but potentially tell Apple to remove your number from iMessage on the server-side, too.

Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, How-to Geek is here to help. Go to the following web page and get the steps plus screen shots. http://bit.ly/2zgCxD9

HOW TO SEARCH ON iPHONE– iPhoneshave evolved to help us with so many different tasks, but that also means keeping track of more information than ever. Whether its, work, personal, or shared content, follow along to become more efficient by improving how you search on iPhone.

There are several ways to leverage the power of search on iPhone. We’ll look at Spotlight (searching for local content like notes, documents, apps, the web, and more), searching the web, and even searching specific pages and documents for a keyword.

How to search on iPhone

From the Lock screen, swipe from left to right, use the search box at the top of your screen.

From your Home screen, you can also swipe from right to left to search with the Today View screen or pull down on your Home screen (in between apps is usually best).

Type in your search.

HOW TO CREATE AN APPLE ID ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – When you’re using any of Apple’s computers, smartphones, or tablets, an Apple ID is integral to not only setting devices up in the first place but getting the best out of them as you use them, too. When you pay a premium to use an ecosystem that “just works,” not having an Apple ID cripples the experience.

Note: For this guide, we are going to make the assumption that you already have an iPhone or iPad up and running, and that you need to create an additional Apple ID. These steps are the same even if you are setting up a new device. When you reach the point of entering your Apple ID, tap “Forgot password or don’t have an Apple ID,” before tapping “Create a Free Apple ID” and following the process. Go to this How-To Geek web page and follow the steps. http://bit.ly/2zd7Ii0

APPLE PUBLISHES FULL IOS 12.1 IPHONE USER GUIDE, CONFIRMING GROUP FACETIME, DUAL-SIM & MORE – When you buy an Apple product, one of the things it doesn’t come with in the box is a full user manual. To get a full manual, you have to go to Apple’s support website or look for its iPhone user guide on Apple Books.

Today, Apple has just made available an updated version of its iPhone User Guide, including new features from iOS 12.1. The user guide can be obtained for free on the Apple Books Store.

This updated guide includes references to new features of iOS 12.1, such as dual SIM support, Group FaceTime and the ability to adjust the depth of portrait mode pictures in the Camera app. Group FaceTime was previously announced as a feature of iOS 12, but Apple delayed its release as it wasn’t quite ready for the initial build of iOS 12. Instead, Apple had promised it would ship in a future software update – which we now know is iOS 12.1.

The inclusion of Group FaceTime on this updated user guide indicates that the feature will in fact be shipping with iOS 12.1. Group FaceTime does have some limitations however, including the fact that FaceTime itself is not available on all regions and that older devices, specifically the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus will only support Group FaceTime audio-only calls.

Another area highlighted by the updated user guide is Apple Music. It mentions the app is getting new features such as updated artist pages, daily top 100 songs around the world, and search by lyrics.

HOW TO MOVE iPHONE APPS – Whether you’re new to iPhone or just haven’t reorganized your apps in a while, follow along for how to move iPhone apps as we cover everything from the basics to advanced tips and tricks.

We’ll first take a look at the basics of moving individual apps. Then look at some advanced app management maneuvers below. Whether you’d like to move multiple apps at once, make and rename folders, and more, we’ve got you covered.

Tap and hold on an app until all apps start wiggling

Tap and hold on the app you’d like to move, drag it to a new location

Repeat as needed

When finished, tap Done in the top right corner of iPhone X and later, press the Home button for iPhone 8/8 Plus and earlier (and iPad)

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM APPLE’S OCTOBER MAC EVENT –To nobody’s great surprise, the previous Apple event, in September, was the traditional start-of-fall fest that was all about the phones, revealing the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max to the world. This time around, according to the most credible rumors, the Cupertino crew is ready to show off what could be music to your ears: new Macs and iPads. Rather than hosting the press in California as it usually does, Apple is coming right to PCMag’s backyard here in New York City. On October 30 at 10 a.m. (ET), the tech giant will take the stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. While nothing is confirmed yet, obviously, the rumor mill has been pretty consistent: It’s likely the turn of the iPad Pro and the desktop Macs to get refreshed. Read more of this PCMag article at: http://bit.ly/2Daecm8

HOW TO MOVE YOUR iTUNES MUSIC TO A CHROMEBOOK – If you switch between platforms a lot, you know it’s a hassle to move your stuff around. Fortunately, music files don’t have any sort of DRM tying them to a specific platform the way that movies do, so you can copy and paste your library around with ease. Or if your music is already in a cloud library, getting your music on a new device may be as easy as downloading a single app. Find out how at this How-To Geek article: http://bit.ly/2z5AD7y

HOW TO USE A MORE SECURE iPHONE PASSCODE – Touch ID and Face ID have made unlocking iPhones super-fast and secure. It’s hard for someone to fake your fingerprint or face. Now, let’s do something about those short passcodes.

Security is always a balance between actual security and convenience. Before Touch ID, most people used a simple four-number passcode (or god forbid, just used swipe to unlock) because they were quick to enter and provided a small amount of security. Now, most people use a six-digit code, but that’s still not very secure. Someone only has to glance over at you entering it once or twice to learn it.

Since Touch ID and Face ID are now so convenient, you can actually use a more secure passcode, or even a passphrase, without inconveniencing yourself too much. I so rarely have to enter my iPhone’s passcode, that the loss of convenience from taking a few seconds longer to enter it once or twice a day is made up for by the extra security. Here’s how to do it.

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE DO NOT DISTURB IN iOS 12 – Do Not Disturb saw a small change in iOS 12. Rather than being a simple on/off switch, Apple now gives users a few more options when enabling the feature. Follow along to learn how to customize Do Not Disturb in iOS 12.

Swipe down from the top right (on iPhone X and beyond), or from the bottom to access Control Center.

3D Touch or long press on the Do Not Disturb icon.

Choose For 1 hour, Until this evening, or Until I leave this location. You’ll sometimes see Until the end of this eventas well, if you have a calendar event scheduled.

And that’s all there is to it. While it’s not as extensive as some may want (enable on certain days, for example), it’s a step in the right direction. Maybe in the future, Apple will expand on the feature and make it fully fledged. For now, this is all we’ve got.

You’re also able to set a DND schedule in the Settings, as well as use Do Not Disturb during Bedtime to schedule when you’d like to not be disturbed. However, you can enable Do Not Disturb whenever you’d like by simply tapping the icon in Control Center. This will keep it on indefinitely until you tap the icon again to disable it. Go to this 9to5Mac web page for a screenshot and video on 5 Favorite iOS12 Features: http://bit.ly/2Slq09A

HOW TO USE FLASHLIGHT WITH iPHONE – Whether you’re new to iPhone or want to learn a new way to use the flashlight, follow along for three ways to use flashlight with iPhone.

There are several ways to use flashlight with iPhone. While Control Center may be the most well-known option, Siri and the Lock screen shortcut on certain iPhones are usually the most convenient choices.

Ask Siri to turn the flashlight on

Tap the flashlight icon in Control Center

Use the Lock screen shortcut on iPhone X and later

Option 1The most convenient way to use flashlight with iPhone in many cases may be to ask Siri. There are a variety of phrases that will get the job done, the simplest is “Hey Siri, flashlight.”

Siri will confirm when it’s been turned on and you can ask to have it turned off with a command as simple as “Hey Siri, flashlight off.”

Option 2Another common way to make use of the flashlight is with Control Center. For iPhone 8/8 Plus and older, swipe up from the bottom of your screen and tap the flashlight icon.

For iPhone X, XS, and XS Max, swipe down from the top right corner to access Control Center.

Option 3The fastest way to turn on flashlight on iPhone X and newer may be the Lock screen shortcut. You’ll see the flashlight icon in the bottom left corner. Firm press (3D Touch) on it to toggle it on and off.

iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages – When you use Messages in iCloud or turn on iCloud Photos, your content is automatically stored in iCloud. That means they’re not included in your iCloud Backup.

Photos and videos on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Purchase history from Apple services, like your music, movies, TV shows, apps, and books – Includes information about the content you buy, but not the content itself. When you restore from an iCloud backup, your purchased content is automatically redownloaded from the iTunes Store, App Store, or Books Store)

Ringtones

Visual Voicemail password (requires the SIM card that was in use during backup). (Your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch backup only include information and settings stored on your device. It doesn’t include information already stored in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, Mail, Notes, Voice Memos3, shared photos, iCloud Photos, Health data, and files you store in iCloud Drive.)

iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you’ll have a copy of your information to use in case your device is ever replaced, lost, or damaged.

Choose a backup methodBefore you get started, learn the difference between iCloud and iTunes backups, then choose the method that’s best for you. If you need an alternative backup, you can make one in iCloud and another in iTunes.

APPLE BOOKS: WHAT’S NEW IN iOS 12 – Apple has completely redesigned and overhauled its iBooks app for iOS 12. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

iOS 12 brings a bunch of refinements and speed to your iPhone and iPad, but that’s not all: There are a number of core apps getting huge facelifts and functionality improvements, too. One of these apps is Apple’s ebook reader and store, iBooks, which bears the moniker “Apple Books” in iOS 12.

While the ebook-reading experience itself has stayed largely the same in iOS 12, Apple Books has completely rethought the design, book management, purchase, and organizational aspects. The new Book Store app is available in 51 countries (and free books in 155 more); here’s everything new in Apple Books on iOS 12.

HOW TO RENAME FOLDERS ON IPHONE AND IPAD – If you’re looking to customize and organize your iPhone or iPad, renaming folders from the defaults that iOS offers is a valuable thing to do. Follow along for how to rename folders on iPhone and iPad.

Whether you’re new to iOS or just haven’t spent the time to tackle customizing folders before, it’s quick and easy to do.

If you’d like to make a new folder while you work on the renaming process, just press and hold (long press) on an app until it wiggles, then drag it on top of another one.

Tap and hold (long press) on the folder you’d like to rename

Once your app/folder are wiggling, tap the folder again

Tap the folder field up top to rename and tap done on the keyboard

On iPhone X and later, tap outside of the folder and then tap Done

One iPhone and iPad models with a Home button, tap it to confirm the change.

Go to this 9to5 mac web site if you want to see a walkthrough with images for the renaming process: http://bit.ly/2CVs4jV

NOW THAT PASSWORD AUTOFILL IS PART OF IOS 12, THERE’S NO REASON NOT TO USE A PASSWORD MANAGER – “You should use a password manager!” is advice you’ve likely ignored for years, but with proper integration on every platform, there’s no legitimate reason not to use a password manager now.

Why You Should Use a Password Manager – The biggest reason to use a password manager is security. Many people reuse the same handful of passwords across the web because they’re easy to remember—but this is also the worst way to handle account security. What if someone finds out even one of your “most used” passwords? How many accounts will be compromised?

With a password manager, you let the software handle the task of remembering complex passwords while you only remember one—the master password to the vault. Instead of remembering several simple passwords, you remember one more difficult password, and then let your manager handle the duties of creating and storing much more complex and secure passwords.

If you’re doing it properly, you won’t have the slightest clue what most of your passwords are. I don’t know my bank password, my mortgage company’s password, or pretty much any of my other important logins. These are all held in my password manager, and I don’t even want to know them.

Why Now’s the Best Time to Start Using a Password Manager – Here’s the thing with password managers: they’ve been a massive inconvenience for a long time. You could use LastPass on the computer, but then when you need a password on your phone, it was a huge pain. Until now, anyway.

With proper password manager support on both Android and iOS, there’s no good excuse not to use a password manager now.

I say “proper” password manager support because LastPass had a useful-but-janky feature on Android for a couple of years that used a chatheads-like feature to fill password info when necessary automatically. But starting with Android Oreo (8.x), Google built an autofill API that allows third-party password managers to automatically fill password information across the entire system.

With iOS 12, Apple also added a very similar feature. You can not only fill passwords from your iCloud Keychain, but also from services like LastPass, 1Password, and more. It’s incredibly intuitive and convenient.

While both systems make easy work of implementing your password manager on mobile, Apple’s system is a little more seamless—it’s baked into the keyboard for ease of use, and it also allows you to set multiple sources from which to pull passwords. Android’s implementation requires you to set a default autofill system, which is fine even if a little less versatile.

Autofill on Mobile is Simple, Intuitive, and Built for Everyone – Now that both Android and iOS have native autofill function baked-in, it’s time for everyone to get on board. It’s incredibly intuitive and simple, but most importantly it’s convenient.

How to add custom email signatures on iPhone and iPad

Whether you have one email account or multiple, follow along for how to add custom email signatures on iPhone and iPad.

For this tutorial, we’ll cover how to add email signatures on iPhone and iPad when using the default Mail app. If you’re looking to add a signature via a third-party email client, take a look in settings of that particular app.

With the iOS Mail app, you can have a signature apply to all email accounts you are using, or have different signatures for each account.

1. Open Settings

2. Swipe down and tap Mail

3. Swipe down and select Signature

4. Enter your signature (can be the same for all accounts or on per account basis)

Here’s how the process looks:

If you have an iPhone and an iPad, you’ll need to set up signatures on both devices as they don’t sync automatically. Follow the same steps as above.

If you have an iPhone and an iPad, you’ll need to set up signatures on both devices as they don’t sync automatically. Follow the same steps as above.

WHAT ARE SIRI SHORTCUTS AND HOW DO I USE THEM? – Siri Shortcuts are one of the new features in iOS12. They let you automate specific tasks (or sequences of tasks) on your iPhone or iPad that you can trigger with a single tap or voice command. So, what can you do with them? Let’s take a look.

What are Siri Shortcuts? – Long story short, Siri Shortcuts let you automate sequences of actions so that you can perform them quickly with one tap on a shortcut icon or with a voice command issued to Siri.

You can say a custom phrase like “Hey Siri, good night” to switch your phone to Do Not Disturb mode and turn the screen brightness all the way down (if you don’t already have auto-brightness enabled). Third-party apps can also include support for Siri Shortcuts for getting things done in those specific apps. Philips Hue is one example, where you can record custom phrases to tell Siri, and she’ll activate your favorite Hue scenes. This is just one small example, though.

You can, of course, trigger shortcuts without using your voice by tapping on the shortcut within the Shortcuts app. You can even create home screen icons for shortcuts or place them on your lock screen in the form of widgets.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APPLECARE AND APPLECARE+? – When you buy a brand-new Apple product, you get a free year of AppleCare with the option of adding on AppleCare+, but it can be confusing figuring out what exactly you get with each service. Here’s how they work.

AppleCare Is Just a Basic Warranty – Most products you buy at the store come with some kind of warranty from the manufacturer that guarantees the product will work as advertised for a certain amount of time. And if not, the manufacturer will fix any problem that comes up free of charge. The length of the warranty and what exactly it covers and doesn’t cover varies depending on the company.

AppleCare is what Apple calls its warranty on its products. It’s a one-year warranty that covers issues and problems with devices—like a malfunctioning power button or a dead screen or anything that fails due to a manufacturing defect or an act of God. You also get 90 days of free phone support. All of this is free of charge and automatically comes with your Apple product, no matter where or when you buy it.

AppleCare+ Adds Another Year and Accidental Damage Coverage – While AppleCare comes with all brand-new Apple products for free, you have the option of paying to add AppleCare+.

AppleCare+ includes regular AppleCare, but on top of that, you get an extra year of warranty coverage (an extra two years for Macs), two years of free phone support (one year extra for Macs), and accidental damage coverage (except for the Apple TV).

Regular AppleCare provides no accidental damage coverage. AppleCare+ does, but there are some limitations. For all Apple products, you only get “up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage,” and there’s a deductible depending on the type of damage and the device:

Even though you have to pay a deductible, it’s still way cheaper than paying to repair damage at full price. So, getting AppleCare+ just to have the accidental damage coverage can definitely be worthwhile.

AppleCare+ Can Cover Loss or Theft, but You’ll Pay More – As great as AppleCare+ is, though, there’s one factor that has always been a deal breaker for some: It doesn’t cover lost or stolen devices. That is, until recently.

AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, as it’s called, costs an extra $100 on top of the normal $199 price tag for regular AppleCare+. So you’ll pay $299 total for everything that AppleCare+ offers, as well as theft or loss coverage.

However, you’ll also end up paying a deductible whenever you lose your iPhone or get it stolen, and it won’t necessarily be cheap:

It’s definitely cheaper than having to buy a whole new iPhone at full price, but it’s certainly not something to take lightly.

HOW DO I REMOVE PHOTOS ON MY iPHONE? – The whole idea behind cloud services is to have all of your things available across all of your devices. iCloud Photo Library is no different. You have all of your photos available across all of your devices. Your library is like a single location that you can access from anywhere. So if you delete a photo, it is deleted from everywhere.

But it sounds like what you want is not to delete photos because you don’t want to see them, but you just want to manage your space on your iPhone. There is an option for exactly this.

On your iPhone go to: Settings> Photos.

Turn on “Optimize iPhone Storage.”

Then your iPhone will only keep a small thumbnail of each photo that only uses a little bit of storage space. As you view photos, it will download the full versions from the cloud. As time goes on it will offload full photos that you haven’t viewed in a while, freeing up space.

This way you have the best of both worlds — all of your photos available everywhere, and you optimize space on your iPhone.

Apple Watch Now Offers ECG, The First Over-The-Counter Consumer Device To Do So – The Apple Watch Series 4 can now take an electrocardiogram (ECG) reading …

This is something that normally requires specialist medical equipment, Apple says it is the first-time consumers have ever been able to buy an ECG advice without a prescription. The Apple Watch Series 4 has been approved by the FDA for this purpose.

How to Sell Your iPhone Safely – And for the most cash. Before you trade your iPhone 6, 7, or 8 in for whatever Apple reveals this week, here’s how to get your old smartphone ready to sell.

Rumors tip an iPhone Xs, Xs Max or Plus, and Xc. While we can speculate on the size, features, colors, and even materials of the phones, one thing we definitely know is that they’ll be pricey.

Still, there will be fans lining up to buy the newest offerings. If you’re one of them, you’ll probably want to sell your existing phone to help soften that blow. But before you pack up your old iPhone and ship it out, you should know there’s more to the process than just handing it over and waiting for cash to hit your bank account.

Privacy concerns abound with phones, from photos stored in iCloud to personal data housed within apps, so wiping your phone before you hand it over to its next owner is a must. And don’t forget to back up, so you don’t have to manually re-download hundreds of apps on your new iPhone.

Below is our step-by-step guide to preparing your phone for sale, as well as a few reputable sites that will take it off your hands for top dollar.

Go to this PC Mag web site and get the scoop on what to do before you sell that old iPhone a d where you can get the best price. http://bit.ly/2vVeGVO

WHAT’S THE BEST EMAIL APP FOR iPHONE? – E-mail, like calendars, is something that is very personal. Over the years, email has morphed from a way to send electronic letters to turning into the digital hub of all we do online. Your Facebook account is tied to an email. Your Amazon account is tied to an email. Everything is tied to your email.

Email accounts are also difficult to change. Once you have it signed up with multiple services, moving from it is like moving your physical address. I’ve seen this first hand when folks leave the school I work at. I usually give them a few days to tie everything up, but many of them have used it as a personal account for years despite my warnings not to, so it becomes a difficult transition.

USE READING MODE ON ANDROID OR iOS TO VIEW WEBPAGES CLUTTER-FREE – While you’re trying to get to the meat of an article while reading on your smartphone or tablet, it’s best done without distractions on the webpage.

When it comes to reading news and online articles on your phone, sometimes the pages can be overwhelming to look at. Most notably sites that have a ton of images, sidebars, ads, and other on-screen activity. Sometimes you just want to get rid of the excess and just read the text of an article. Here is a look at how you can read articles in a browser on your Android or iOS device distraction-free.

Go to this Groovy Post web page and get the steps plus screen shots for Chrome on Android and Safari on iOS. http://bit.ly/2Pd8TED

TECHOPEDIA EXPLAINS ALGORITHM – An algorithm is a detailed series of instructions for carrying out an operation or solving a problem. In a non-technical approach, we use algorithms in everyday tasks, such as a recipe to bake a cake or a do-it-yourself handbook.

Technically, computers use algorithms to list the detailed instructions for carrying out an operation. For example, to compute an employee’s paycheck, the computer uses an algorithm. To accomplish this task, appropriate data must be entered into the system. In terms of efficiency, various algorithms are able to accomplish operations or problem solving easily and quickly.

APPLE TEACHES PHOTO EDITING WITH OVER-THE-PHONE CLASSES– Many device makers give you the tools to capture and edit great photos, but they seldom teach you how to make the most of those tools. Apple thinks it can — and unlike in the past, you don’t need to show up in person to develop your skills. The company has launched an over-the-phone training program that teaches you how to edit with Photos (both iOS and macOS) in a 30-minute one-on-one session with a specialist. It’ll both show how to use simple adjustments like Auto Enhance as well as deeper edits like color balance and exposure. If you have Live Photos or Portrait mode pictures from your mobile devices, you’ll learn how to edit those as well. Read more of this engadget article: https://engt.co/2wwOhzk

iPHONE & iPAD: HOW TO CUSTOMIZE NOTES SETTINGS– Whether you’ve been using the iOS Notes app for a while and never customized it or are just starting to use it, follow along below for how to dial in your settings.

Curating your settings for Notes is easy to do and is definitely worth your time. Whether you like to start new notes with Siri, Control Center, or manually, we’ll look at how to adjust your default account, default sort option, and more.

iPhone & iPad: How to customize Notes settings

Open Settings

Swipe down and tap Notes

Double check “Default Account” at the top, set to your liking (if you have options)

Another valuable setting to check is ‘Sort Notes By’

Look over any other settings that you’d like to tweak.

HOW TO CONTACT GMAIL SUPPORT – Although you may not be able to directly contact Gmail support without subscribing to G Suite for businesses, there are a couple of ways to get the answers you’re looking for online. Let’s look at how you can get help with your Gmail issues.

HOW TO REALLY STOP GOOGLE FROM TRACKING YOUR LOCATION– Even when Google Location History is off, your phone or tablet is still collecting your location data. Here’s how to really make sure it’s turned off.

Everyone should know that the services and app you use from Google aren’t really free. In exchange for creating a Google account and using Gmail, Google Maps, Google Docs, and even search itself, you agree to have your data collected. And one of the data metrics that’s collected is your location history. Here is a look at how you can really stop Google from tracking your location while using its services.

A recent report from the Associated Press reveals that even if you disable Google’s Location History on your phone, it’s not really stopping the search giant from tacking you. In fact, just today the company clarified its tracking policy. “We have been updating the explanatory language about Location History to make it more consistent and clearer across our platforms and help centers,” Google said in a statement to the AP.

Avoid the Obvious– Don’t make the mistake of creating passwords that are based on personal information, your login ID, or are simple to guess or locate.

Make It Longer – One of the features of a strong password is that it is at least 8 characters in length and it should be a combination of mixed-case letters with the addition of numbers and punctuation where allowed.

Vanity Plates – How many times have you been driving behind a car with a vanity plate? Were the characters cryptic but easy to decipher? Have you seen these plates?

Consider an easy to remember phrase that can be expressed without complete words and with a combination of mixed case letters as well as numbers and symbols:

Have some fun making up combinations of phrases that have meaning to you but that would not be easy for other people to guess.

Song Lyrics – Think of a favorite song lyric, book, or poem. The more obscure your choice, the better. Next, create a password from a combination such as the 1st letter of each word of the phrase. Some hacker dictionaries have common songs and phrases built in, and so, you will want to strengthen your password by adding in other characters or personalizing the song in some way.

For instance: “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose,” might become r1trNr2Xhavsn.

You want to avoid obvious geek phrases, of course, such as “Luke, I am your father” or “Beam me up Scotty.”

Passphrases – Choose 5 or more random words and string them together to create a nonsense phrase. For greater strength, use a downloadable program such as Diceware that helps you generate word combinations from your throw of multiple dice.

Blended Words – String together 3 or more totally unrelated words by breaking apart and re-combining the parts of each word. For instance, combining the words SPOON LIME PUPPY might result in SPOLIPUPP.

Annoy Lurkers – Do use a password that can be typed quickly, without having to look at the keyboard. This makes it harder for someone to steal your password by looking at your keyboard (also known as “lurking” or “shoulder surfing”). Do not use keyboard sequences or characters found together such as QWERTY.

These 7 strategies will enable you to choose and create strong passwords that will help improve the security of your computer and other devices.

INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS ARE BEING HACKED, LOCK YOURS DOWN NOW – Attackers are compromising Instagram accounts and locking out users, so take a moment to lock down your account.

A growing number of users are taking to Twitter and Reddit to complain about compromised Instagram accounts, and there seems to be a pattern. Here’s Karissa Bell, writing for Mashable:

It’s not clear how hackers are gaining access to these accounts, or if it’s the result of a coordinated attack. But Mashable has identified several commonalities among the hacking victims—like a changed handle and profile avatar (often to an animated character from a Disney or Pixar film), deleted bios, and a new .ru email address on the account. In most cases, the Instagram users did not have two-factor authentication enabled at the time of the hack, but it appears even this setting may not be enough to deter hackers.

The changed email addresses are a big deal because they make it hard to recover your account. With this in mind, we think prevention is key. Here’s our advice:

Change your password, particularly if you’ve been re-using one on various accounts. Set up a password manager so you can quickly generate random ones.

Enable two factor authentications on Instagram right now. Yes, some people have been hacked with this on, but it’s still better to have this on

These steps aren’t a guarantee, as Bell outlines in her piece, but it’s a start. Stay safe out there!

iPHONE & iPAD: HOW TO CUSTOMIZE SIRI SUGGESTIONS – As Siri has evolved in various ways over the years, suggestions from the smart assistant pop up across iOS in a variety of ways, often by default. Siri suggestions come from analyzing your personal data, which happens on-device for greater user privacy. Even though many of these features are on by default, Apple gives users fine grain control of them, along with easy to understand descriptions of how the features work.

Go to this 9to5 Mac web page and see the steps and screen shots for customizing Siri.http://bit.ly/2P9kOnr

QUICK TIP: ASK SIRI HOW TO SPELL A WORD – Since you talk instead of type to communicate with Siri, it is an ideal way to find out the spelling of a word. Just ask Siri on your Mac or iOS device: “How do you spell daiquiri?” Not only will you see the result, but Siri will spell it for you.

HOW TO AUTO-REPLY TO TEXTS ON iPHONE WHILE YOU’RE DRIVING – With iOS 11 on iPhone, you can turn on a new feature called Do Not Disturb while Driving. What does Do Not Disturb mean on your iPhone? It means that with this “car mode” feature turned on, your iPhone won’t receive notifications while you’re driving so you don’t get distracted. You can turn off Do Not Disturb if you’re a passenger and would like to use your iPhone. Your iPhone’s driving mode also allows you to turn on and customize an Auto-Reply message that’s sent to whomever is texting you when you’re driving. Here’s how to set up an auto-reply message to texts while you’re driving with iOS 11 on iPhone.

IDEVICE USER GUIDE – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IDEVICES. Go to this Apple web page: https://apple.co/2OHE5Mz It will provide you with the opportunity to Browse Manuals by Products. Also, manuals are available in other languages.

If you select “iBooks,” that manual can be downloaded and read in iBooks on your Mac or iOS device.

If you select “Web,” that manual can be displayed on your Windows PC.

GIVE SIRI THE FINGER – One of the big problems with voice-controlled devices is that you don’t always want to use your voice: “Hey, Siri! Search the web for fungal foot cream!” isn’t something you generally want to shout on the bus.

If you go into Settings > General > Accessibility > Siri and enable Type To Siri, long-pressing on the Home button brings up the keyboard. “Hey Siri” still works, and if you’ve enabled voice feedback that still works too.

GET MORE STORAGE SPACE – iOS 11 introduces several new ways to improve your available storage, including new, more efficient file formats for photo and video – although those formats only apply to new images or recordings, not ones you’ve already got.

In addition, you can free up storage by enabling iCloud sync for Messages in Settings > Messages > Messages on iCloud and by deleting message attachments from the same page.

You can also “offload” apps, which deletes them but remembers their data: when you want to use them again you just re-install and they pick up from where you left off. That option is in the iCloud storage bit of Settings.

GOOGLE EARTH FOR iOS RECEIVES HANDY MEASURE TOOL TO CALCULATE DISTANCE AND AREA – Google Earth on iOS has been updated with one of the most requested features: a measurement tool.

Announced in a blog post, Google shared that after previously coming to Chrome and Android, it has brought the popular feature to iOS.

Ever wonder how far your hometown is from the North Pole? Or maybe, you simply want to measure the length of that hike you just finished.

One of the most requested features for Google Earth is the ability to measure distance and areas.

Google shared some other useful ways to use the measure tool like checking out the size of a park in a new neighborhood before buying a home or teachers using it to create engaging lessons for students.

Or if you’re a teacher, challenge your students to measure the distance between Tokyo and Timbuktu; compare the area of Colorado and Utah or create math problems using the map.

The measure tool is live now in the latest version of Google Earth and can be found by long-pressing on the map or opening the overflow menu.

HOW TO SYNC AND ACCESS OPEN TABS IN FIREFOX ACROSS DEVICES – Do you use Firefox on multiple devices? You can sync your tabs across devices using Firefox Sync and open them on any device.

With today’s on-the-go lifestyle, most people switch among several devices to stay informed and connected. Luckily, you can continue viewing the same web pages in Firefox across your devices by syncing your open tabs.

You can easily access a list of Firefox tabs open on each device and open any of those tabs on any of your devices.

Today we’ll show you how to access open Firefox tabs in Windows, Mac, and Linux, and on iOS and Android devices.

INSTAGRAM DM NOW LETS YOU SEE WHEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE ONLINE (DM = DIRECT MESSAGE) – Instagram has out a new feature to let users see when their friends are on the platform and available to chat.

Detailed in a blog post, Instagram shared that users will now see a green dot in the bottom right portion of profile photos to indicate a user’s status.

When your friends are active on Instagram, you’ll see a green dot next to their profile picture in various spaces within the app, including the Direct inbox and your friend list when you share a post from feed.

The status indicator will only show up for your followers or users who you’ve chatted with in Direct.

Instagram notes that you can turn off the feature at any time.

You can easily hide your own status and turn off the ability to see when your friends are active in your settings.

Instagram hopes the new status feature will make it more fun to chat on the platform when users know if friends are immediately available.

Instagram is a free download from the App Store.

iPHONE: HOW TO DISABLE VOLUME BUTTONS FROM CHANGING RINGTONES AND TEXT ALERTS – Do you find yourself accidentally changing your ringtone volume level with the physical buttons on your iPhone in your pocket, bag, or purse? Follow along for how to keep your ringtone volume fixed for calls, texts, and more.

The handy thing about this feature is it allows you to keep your ringtone volume the same for calls, texts, emails, third-party apps and more. But it still allows the physical buttons to control volume for music and video playback and any other audio output.

HOW TO SET 24-HOUR TIME ON iPHONE, iPAD, APPLE WATCH & MAC – Those who live outside of the United States are typically accustomed to setting clocks to 24-hour time. However, that is not the default in the U.S.

Fortunately, Apple gives the option on all its platforms to set 24-hour time, regardless of region. Follow along to learn how to flip the switch…

VLC FOR IPHONE AND iPAD UPDATED TO SUPPORT 360 VIDEO, CHROMECAST, MORE – VLC has updated its app on iOS with a handful of new features. The update brings the app to version 3.1.0 and includes several long-awaited features sure to please users…

The two standout features from the update is support for Chromecast, which allows users with the device to stream VLC to their Chromecast-enabled TV, and 360-video. Users are now able to view 360-video by simply tilting/moving their phone.

The update is now available as a free download on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

WHAT IS “LOST MODE” ON THE iPHONE, iPAD, OR MAC? – If you ever lose your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch, you should put it in “Lost Mode.” Lost Mode locks your device to protect your personal information, tracks its location, and places a customizable message on its lock screen.

APPLE iOS 11.4.1 HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM – iOS 11.4.1 has landed and my upgrade guide explains its best features and changes. That said, it isn’t without flaws and following a complex security breach, a far more fundamental and frustrating problem has emerged…

A growing number of iPhone and iPad owners report that after upgrading to iOS 11.4.1 they can no longer update any apps from the App Store (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15, etc.). Several users have also contacted me about this directly and it has also been reported to the eagle-eyed bloggers at PiunikaWeb.

Meanwhile, Apple Support appears to have no answer. It’s suggestions of switching to WiFi, Apple ID checks, iCloud restores and even resorting to updating apps one-at-a-time has not done the trick. In fact, the only workaround anyone has found is to use a VPN to trigger updates but it isn’t doing the trick for everyone and is obviously not a viable solution long term.

Given app updates are fundamental to the ongoing enjoyment of using iPhones and iPads, it appears Apple’s only option will be to release an emergency iOS 11.4.2 patch. It is possible this could be delayed until iOS 12 (which is already in beta testing) but a final release for that won’t come until September.

Go to this TechSpot web page and read the article if you are having problems with App Store. http://bit.ly/2uuE0Du

I did not have this problem on my iPhone 8 Plus or my iPad 9.7 2017 32GB model after downloading and installing iOS 11.4.1. Jere

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND SOMEONE’S LOST iPHONE OR SMARTPHONE – Smartphones go missing all the time. I’m pretty sure my sister loses hers the second Tuesday and third Thursday of every month. We’ve already looked at what to do if you lose your smartphone so let’s take a different perspective: what to do if you find someone’s smartphone and want to return it to them.

Editor’s Note: If you take an expensive smartphone home with you, and then get caught with it a few days later, you’re going to have a very hard time explaining to the police that you didn’t steal it, even if you had the very best of motives. And depending on where you live and where you found it, you might be guilty of theft by taking it home regardless.

HOW TO TURN OFF LOCATION SERVICES ON iOS DEVICES – Customizing location settings to protect your privacy can be confusing and complicated for the average user. This PCMag article shows you how to control what Apple and app makers know about your whereabouts. http://bit.ly/2JpNFzV

HOW TO USE GOOGLE ASSISTANT ON THE iPHONE AND iPAD – Do you own an iPhone but hate Siri? Why not give the Google Assistant app a try? You can’t access Google Assistant as easily as you can Siri, but Google’s voice assistant can still come in handy.

You can ask Google Assistant to answer a range of questions and perform a variety of tasks. Tell it to make a phone call, send a text message, or kick off an email. Request it to set a reminder, a calendar appointment, and a shopping list. Ask for directions and get information on nearby restaurants and other spots, and more.

Read Lance Whitney’s PCMag article to look at some of the many capabilities Google Assistant offers iPhone users. http://bit.ly/2KZBRdh

HOW TO RESET AN iPHONE OR ANDROID DEVICE – Before ditching your old gadget, you’ll want to wipe all traces of yourself and your data. Fortunately, Apple and Android phones and tablets offer built-in features through which you can erase all your personal information, applications, and other content. The process brings the phone back to factory conditions, so a new owner can’t retrieve any leftover information.

The steps for wiping your phone differ between an iPhone or Android phone but are still quite doable with either type of device.

Go to this PCMag web page and get the steps with screen shots on how to reset your device before selling or giving away. http://bit.ly/2KViH4d

HOW TO TRANSFER PHOTOS FROM YOUR PC TO YOUR MOBILE PHONE – Are there pictures on your computer that you want to access on the go? You can push your favorite photos from your computer to your phone. Here’s how.

You may already have a method for sending photos from your mobile phone to your computer, but what about the reverse trip?

Perhaps there are photos on your computer that you want to use as phone wallpaper, or maybe you want to copy certain personal photos from your PC to your phone.

On iPhone, you can set up a specific folder for photos and use iTunes to make the transfer. On Android, you can copy the photos directly to your phone or via an SD card through File Explorer or Windows Explorer. You can also sync the photos using an online photo storage site, such as Google Photos, which also works on iPad and Android tablets.

Let’s check out your options. Go to this PCMag web page and get the different options. http://bit.ly/2zjUiUu

HOW TO SCAN QR CODES WITH YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – You used to need a third-party app to scan QR codes, but now the feature is built right into iOS.

Put a QR code on your business card, and people can copy all your contact info into their phone in a heartbeat. Post a QR code somewhere in your house, and guests can use it to instantly sign on to your Wi-Fi network.

You used to need a third-party app to scan QR codes, but with iOS 11 Apple built it right into the camera app. It couldn’t be easier to use.

REMINDER: THIRD PARTY GMAIL APPS HAVE FULL ACCESS TO YOUR EMAIL Remember that “cool” free Gmail app you installed years ago and then forgot about? It probably still has access to your email, and actual humans might be sifting through them.

RELATED: How to Secure Your Gmail and Google Account

Douglas MacMillan, writing for The Wall Street Journal, re-iterated a problem we’ve been talking about for a while: free applications users give permissions to and then forget about. These apps have full access to your email, and they’re taking advantage.

Here’s MacMillan:

One of those companies is Return Path Inc., which collects data for marketers by scanning the inboxes of more than two million people who have signed up for one of the free apps in Return Pathʼs partner network using a Gmail, Microsoft Corp. or Yahoo email address. Computers normally do the scanning, analyzing about 100 million emails a day. At one point about two years ago, Return Path employees read about 8,000 unredacted emails to help train the company’s software, people familiar with the episode say.

Creepy, right? And that’s just one example MacMillan gives.

Think carefully the next time a “free” application asks for access to your Gmail account, or any email account for that matter. And if you haven’t scrolled through Google’s list of Apps with access to your account lately, you should. Immediately.

FIVE EASY WAYS TO RECOGNIZE AND DISPOSE OF MALICIOUS EMAILS – I suppose we all get our share of spam. Some more than others. But how do we differentiate between simple commercial spam and the types of emails that want to get us in trouble?

The unsolicited commercial spam email is generally easy to recognize, report, and discard, but what about more dangerous types of spam? How can you determine if an email contains a malicious link or attachment, or is trying to scam you out of money or your personal information?

And if you do discover you have malicious emails in your inbox, what then? Is reporting as spam and deleting the email enough?

Knowing what you are up against helps you determine what to do with all that spam—whether it’s simply a nuisance or a landmine waiting to detonate.

HOW TO BLOCK ROBOCALLS AND SPAM CALLS – Are you getting too many phone calls from spammers and telemarketers? You can take several steps to battle against those annoying, unknown callers.

Beyond registering your phone number with the FTC’s Do Not Call Registry (which doesn’t stop scammers and disreputable telemarketers from calling you), you can take other actions.

Apple iPhones and Android phones come with built-in features for blocking specific phone numbers, and several third-party apps—such as Nomorobo, Hiya Caller ID and Block, RoboKiller, and Truecaller—work to block telemarketing calls. These tools can also be used to stop unwanted text messages. Let’s check them out.

Go to this PCMag article web page and get screen shots of how to block on Android, iPhone, Land Line, through your phone carrier and 4 different apps to add to your smart phone. http://bit.ly/2u4grAp

WHY EVERY APP PUSHES NOTIFICATIONS NOW, AND HOW TO STOP IT – If you want your notifications to work like they used to, only showing you things, you care about, you can get there. It just takes a little work.

We’ve written about how to turn off notifications everywhere, and you should absolutely learn about all the tools for your platform. Here are a few platform specific guides for stopping specific apps from showing you notifications:

How to Disable Notifications on Your iPhone or iPad

How to Disable Notifications on Android

How to Disable Notifications on Windows 10

How to Turn Off Annoying Mac Notifications

Turn off all notifications for any apps you don’t want notifying you about stuff. Be ruthless about it, because every notification you don’t want might obscure one you actually do.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and link to the Disable you want and see a Facebook sample. http://bit.ly/2yHVBfA

TECH TERM

MOUSETRAPPING – Mousetrapping is a technique used by some websites to prevent users from leaving or completely closing out the website. Methods used can include relaunching the website in a window that cannot be easily closed, refusing to allow the browser to navigate to a new/different URL, and/or launching an endless series of pop-up ads/windows.

HOW TO FIND A LOST SMARTPHONE – Smartphones contain a lot of personal information, and they’re not cheap. If you’ve misplaced your iPhone or Android phone, these tools can help you hunt it down.

Uh oh. Where’s your smartphone? Maybe it’s lost. Maybe it’s been stolen. Either way, you need to find it. Don’t worry, you can do this a couple ways.

Apple’s Find My iPhone app can run from an iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac. Google provides an app and website called Find My Device through which you can seek out your mobile device. And if you believe your phone may have been stolen or don’t want it falling into the wrong hands, you can remotely erase the information on it so no one else can access it.

Whether you have an iPhone or Android phone, here’s how to locate your missing device. Even if it is missing in the house.

iOS 12 WILL SHARE PRECISE LOCATION DATA FOR 911 CALLS – Your iPhone will soon share accurate location data when you call 911, allowing emergency workers to know exactly where you’re calling from even if you can’t tell them. This is a new feature in iOS 12, which is coming later this fall. Read more of this How-To Geek post at: http://bit.ly/2tmjsf4

HOW TO TURN OFF SMART REPLIES IN THE NEW GMAIL – If you live under a constant barrage of email requests, the availability of one-tap responses is probably useful. However, if you aren’t comfortable with Google scanning the words of every single email you receive, you might prefer to turn off the feature. Luckily, it’s easy to do. See how at this MakeUseOf web page: http://bit.ly/2JVDQii

HOW TO PRINT FROM AN iPAD – If you need to print from your iPad, there’s no single “best” way to do it. Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s AirPrint utility, along with some alternative mobile printing solutions.

5 Ways to Print from Your Tablet – As Apple iPads have become commonplace in homes, as well as essential tools for many businesses, the demand for easy ways to print from them has grown. A variety of printing methods has emerged to meet this need. They fall into five general categories, which we’ll visit here: Apple’s own AirPrint utility; print server utilities that install on a computer on your Wi-Fi network; manufacturers’ and third-party iOS printing apps; cloud printing services; and email printing. Because many of the solutions are OS-dependent, most iPad printing solutions are like, and in many cases identical to, the solutions for printing from iPhones.

BATTLING ADWARE THAT REDIRECTS YOUR BROWSER – If your browser is suddenly full of pop-up ads or taking you to sites you didn’t request, you probably have a malware infection. Aggressive invasive adware programs — which can affect Macs along with PCs — often redirect your browser to certain pages so those sites can get revenue by showing advertisements to (unwilling) visitors. Read more of this NY Times Personal Tech article at: https://goo.gl/6mvBUf

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR iPHONE IS GETTING A BAD SIGNAL – There are dozens of factors that can affect your cell service—from your distance to a tower to the weather—but what can you do if, for some reason, your iPhone suddenly isn’t getting a good signal? Let’s find out.

NOT PHISHING: GOOGLE IS CHANGING ITS LOGIN SCREEN THIS WEEK – Google is tweaking its login prompt this week and you should take a quick look at the new design.

Slightly different login screens can prompt panic in savvy web user, who fear spear phishing and other attacks built around fake username and password fields. So, it’s worth knowing when a change is coming, however slight it might be.

Google announced the new login screen last week, and GSuite users should start seeing it on Thursday, June 14th. The rollout will take 15 days, meaning everyone will have this new design by July.

Slight aesthetic tweaks generally aren’t the most exciting news, even if this new login prompt nicely employs Google’s Material Design aesthetic. Just be aware the change is coming, so you don’t panic later this month while logging in. Stay safe out there! See the screenshot at this How-To-Geek web page: http://bit.ly/2JE4jwu

HOW TO VIEW EXIF METADATA FOR PHOTOS ON AN iPHONE OR iPAD – If you want to get more information about a photo you took, there’s an easy way to do it on your iPhone or iPad. A free iOS app lets you quickly and easily view your photo metadata.

WHAT IS A SIM CARD (AND WHAT COMES NEXT)? – A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is a chip inside most modern cellular phones that stores information your phone needs to communicate with your carrier’s cell towers. SIM cards come in different sizes and if you were to remove the SIM card from your phone you wouldn’t be able to text, call, or access anything on the internet.

SIM cards have been on the scene since 1991.

What’s stored on a sim card? – A SIM card stores an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number, which is a unique 15-digit number identifying the card on carrier’s mobile network.

A SIM card is also capable of storing SMS messages and the names and phone numbers of up to 500 contacts, depending on the memory size of the SIM card you have.

If you have to change phones for whatever reason, you’re able to transfer your contacts via the SIM card painlessly. Most SIM cards contain between 64-128 KB of storage.

Most modern phones do not store that kind of information on SIM cards.

The first thing you should do if your phone or SIM card is stolen is report the theft to your carrier. They can then block that SIM card from being used at all.

Call your carrier and ask them to add a security PIN to your account. That way, anybody who talks to them to make account changes (including you) must provide the PIN number first.

The next-generation SIM technology is called an Embedded-SIM (eSIM). It’s a non-replaceable chip soldered directly to your device’s circuit board and contains something called “Remote SIM Provisioning,” which allows customers to remotely activate the e-SIM on their devices. Right now, Google’s Pixel 2 and the Apple Watch 3 (along with some cars), are the only real consumer tech using eSIMs, but that’s expected to change quickly. Read more at this How-To Geek web page: https://goo.gl/cKWKYS

HOW TO EDIT LIVE PHOTOS ON YOUR iPHONE – Live photos are basically three second movie files—3D press the photo and watch it move. The cool thing, though, is you can edit them in the Photos app just like they were any other photo. Here’s how to edit your live photos, as well as change the key photo and video length, and convert them to different formats.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see the screen shots and step to edit your live photos. http://bit.ly/2HcxoND

THE BEST PLACES TO FIND FREE AUDIOBOOKS (LEGALLY) – Audiobooks are great for commutes, long trips, and dull tasks. Here are a number of places you can download Audiobooks legally, and for free. And they’re not all public domain stuff.

Many of the audiobook sites you can find on the internet let you download classic books in the public domain for free, but some sites have better quality books than others. We’ve rounded up some of the best of those sites, plus some ways you can get other kinds of audiobooks for free, too.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and you will find 9 different resources for free audiobooks. http://bit.ly/2LjUyE2

HOW TO CLEAR YOUR CACHE ON ANY BROWSER – It’s not always a straightforward process, but it’s always a good thing to do on occasion.

The browser history—a list of every page you’ve visited online and the time you were there—is a standard of modern computing. And it can lead to trouble; it’s practically a cliché. Think of the romantic “comedies” where the girl finds a guy’s browser history (because it’s always the guy’s) and he’s in scalding hot water.

For most of us, sharing a PC is normal (sadly, setting up multiple user accounts is not) and handing off a smartphone to someone isn’t unheard of. It doesn’t matter if you’re encrypting your emails, using Tor and VPNs while browsing to stay anonymous, or if you wear a false moustache at your desk: if someone has access to your devices, they can see where you’ve been.

A browser can and will hold your history indefinitely. The goal is to help you find your way back to a perhaps-forgotten corner of the Internet you visited once upon a time. The reality is, it can be used against you by significant others, friends, bosses, subordinates, teachers, even the authorities. It doesn’t even matter if you never stopped to look at the contents; these days, simply visiting can be impetus enough for outrage, blackmail, or whatever you fear most in reprisal.

APPLE’S IOS 11.4 SECURITY UPDATE ARRIVES IN AN iCLOUD OF SILENCE– Apple has released iOS 11.4, presumably with the new 7-day USB shutout feature Naked Security wrote about recently.

If the word “presumably” above sound vague, it is, because this particular update didn’t arrive with its usual documentary certainty.

Regular readers will know I’m (Paul Dunklin) a proponent of prompt security updates, and that I like to say, “Patch early, patch often,” yet this time I wasn’t first out of the blocks – I found out about the new iOS almost by accident.

That’s because I made a routine visit to Settings → General → Software Update on my iPhone yesterday, without any notifications from Apple to clue me in.

(Whichever device, operating system or apps you use, and no matter how aggressively and automatically you’ve configured your patching process, it’s worth doing a manual cross-check every so often – just in case you’re out of date but didn’t know it.) Read more at: http://bit.ly/2LaaYPi

MESSAGES IN iCLOUD ARRIVES WITH IOS 11.4, HERE’S HOW IT WORKS – Messages in iCloud is finally here as part of this week’s iOS 11.4 release, but the long-awaited feature isn’t totally straightforward without a little help. Turning it on, knowing how it works everywhere, saving important messages, and knowing what benefits it actually offers aren’t made obvious by Apple, but we’ve got it figured out for you:

Ensure all your text messages are up to date across your devices via Messages in iCloud.

iPHONE: SEE HOW MUCH TIME YOU’RE SPENDING IN APPS – Whether you’d like to get an idea of how much time you’re spending in various apps or would like get a better idea of how your kids are using their iPhones, follow along for how to easily breakdown your screen time.

While Apple has previously shared that is continually working on how to make its devices better for users when it comes to aspects like ‘digital health’ and parental controls, there are some tools already available in iOS 11 to help guide iPhone use.

We may see some new updates to how Apple will approach all of this next week at WWDC, similar to how Google announced its new Digital Wellbeing platform.

See how much time you’re spending in apps on iPhone

Open Settings

Swipe down and tap Battery

Tap the clock icon to the right of Last 24 Hours and Last 7 Days

REBOOT YOUR ROUTER TO AVOID RUSSIAN MALWARE, FBI WARNS:What you need to know. In some cases, a full factory reset may be required

Your gateway to the Internet may be the portal that foreign hackers are using to snatch your data. The FBI recently issued a security notice warning that all home and small office routers should be rebooted after Cisco’s Talon group discovered sophisticated Russian-linked “VPNFilter” malware infecting at least 500,000 networking devices.

Here’s what you need to know about VPNFilter and the FBI’s guidance to reboot your router—which might not even safeguard against the malware completely.

HOW TO UPDATE CREDIT CARD INFORMATION IN SAFARI AUTOFILL SETTINGS – Safari’s AutoFill is a feature that automatically enters contacts, logins, passwords, and credit card information, so you don’t have to spend time remembering and typing the same things over and over. AutoFill can even create secure passwords if you’re having trouble coming up with your own. If you have iCloud set up and iCloud Keychain enabled, iCloud Keychain will securely store AutoFill information from Safari. Once your AutoFill information is stored, it can be automatically entered across all Apple devices you sign into your iCloud account on. But what happens when some of your information changes and AutoFill keeps entering old data? Don’t worry; there is a way to update your AutoFill information right from your iPhone! Let’s get started learning how to update credit card information, so your AutoFill data is once again helpful and correct.

WHAT IS A WI-FI HOTSPOT (AND ARE THEY SAFE TO USE)? – A Wi-Fi hotspot is really just a wireless access point. Typically, they are public locations where you can access the internet through Wi-Fi on your mobile devices. They are convenient, but there are also some security issues to be aware of when using them.

Technically, there’s nothing distinguishing a Wi-Fi hotspot from any other wireless access point. You could consider the wireless router in your home to be a Wi-Fi hotspot. However, when we talk about hotspots, we’re usually talking about the public, physical locations where you can sign on to Wi-Fi (often for free). They’re usually provided by businesses like coffee shops and hotels but are sometimes provided as a public service. To connect to a hotspot, the only thing you need is a device with wireless connectivity, whether that’s a smartphone, laptop, or tablet.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and read about the plus and minus of using a HotSpot. http://bit.ly/2xukoTR

IF YOUR CELLPHONE IS PAID FOR, DEMAND YOUR CELL COMPANY UNLOCK IT – If you buy a cellphone from your carrier, it’s almost always locked to their network. You can’t just stick an AT&T sim card in a T-Mobile Verizon. Or can you? If your smartphone is out of contract you can demand they unlock it and do just that. Let’s dig in.

All the national level providers in the US—think Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and so on—are mandated by law to unlock your phone once you’ve fully paid off the device subsidy, your contract ends, or you’ve paid an early termination fee. This means that you’ll be able to use it on other networks and even internationally.

APPLE RELEASES 11.4 UPDATES FOR iOS AND APPLE TV AIRPLAY 2 SUPPORT – A week ahead of this year’s WWDC, Apple released updates for all its devices (sans macOS) and it includes Messages in iCloud and AirPlay 2 support.

WWDC = WORLD WIDE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE. Apple today released new updates for its entire line of hardware devices. The updates include iOS 11.4 for iPhone and iPad, tvOS 11.4 for Apple TV, and watchOS 4.3.1 for Apple Watch. The update includes bug fixes, stability improvements, and a couple notable new features for iOS and tvOS. The two main new features include Messages in iCloud for synced conversations among devices and AirPlay 2 which provides multi-room

Messages in iCloud is a feature that was first introduced during last year’s WWDC. It allows you to keep track of your conversations across all your Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, Watch, and your Mac. You can now access your entire Messages history when you set up a new iOS device. Also, when you delete a message from one device, that change syncs to all your other Apple devices. With messages (including attachments) stored in iCloud, it opens more room on your devices that are cramped for local storage. It’s also worth mentioning that the messages are secured with end-to-end encryption protected by a unique key linked to the device.

AirPlay 2 is the new feature that allows to wirelessly stream audio to multiple rooms with compatible speakers and devices. You can control the audio in Control Center on your device and ask Siri to play music to a single room or group of rooms. If you have a HomePod, Airplay 2 is automatically supported, and you don’t need to manually group speakers. This is similar to setting up multiroom audio on Alexa devices or using Google Home for multiroom audio playback. AirPlay 2 is also supported on Apple TV and you can control the playback of audio to different devices from your screen. Popular speaker manufacturers like Bose, Pioneer, Marantz, and Sonos and others will support Apple’s AirPlay2 technology.

The iOS update is available for iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and even the 6th generation iPod touch. The tvOS 11.4 update is available for the 4th generation Apple TV and the new Apple TV 4K. And all models of Apple Watch are compatible with the 4.3.1 update. The only thing not updated today is macOS

11 FUN AND USEFUL AUGMENTED REALITY APPS FOR iPHONE X – AR might just be getting started on the iPhone, but some apps are already showing great potential. If you have a horizontal surface, a well-lit room, and a modern iPhone, check it out for yourself. Explore your iPhone’s capability with these augmented reality apps you can find in the App Store. Read more at this Make Tech Easier web page: http://bit.ly/2LzC7w7

HOW TO REMOTELY TROUBLESHOOT YOUR RELATIVE’S COMPUTER – If you’re the designated ‘tech person’ in your family or friend group, this PCMag article will show you how to access a computer from afar, Mac or PC, to see what’s going on. http://bit.ly/2IQeiml

5 OF THE BEST eBOOK READER APPS FOR iOS – For those who love ebooks, they’re a gift from the literary gods. Carrying a library in the palm of your hand is amazing. And if you can store it on your phone, you’ll never be without a good book. Check out our favorite third-party ebook reader apps for iOS at this Make Tech Easier web page: http://bit.ly/2IJHhb8

WHY RESTARTING YOUR PHONE MAKES IT PERFORM BETTER AND FIXES COMMON ISSUES– We’ve all heard it: “have you tried turning it off and back on again?” It’s the first step when troubleshooting any tech problem—it even makes your phone perform better when nothing is wrong. But why?

INSTANTLY JUMP TO THE RIGHTMOST TAB IN ANY BROWSER – Need to quickly get to the rightmost tab? Press Ctrl-9, or Command-9 if you’re on a Mac. This works in every major browser, no matter how many tabs you have open. You probably know you can press control and a number to quickly jump between tabs—Ctrl-1 takes you to the first tab; Ctrl-2, the second; and so on. But Ctrl-9 is different: it takes you to the rightmost tab, not the ninth, which is very useful when you’re managing dozens of tabs. How-To Geek – http://bit.ly/2IApqiQ

HOW TO USE THE READER VIEW IN FIREFOX – How many times do you go to a website to read an article and once the page loads, you’re bombarded with banners and distracting ads? Firefox’s Reader View removes the clutter and simplifies the page for better readability, leaving only what you want to see: the article.

Safari sort of pioneered the reader view, but other browsers have also started to adopt it. Firefox is no exception, and you can enjoy the reader view in both the desktop and mobile versions. Enabling Reader View is surprisingly easy on both PC and mobile and only requires that you have Firefox installed before getting started.

Compose a new message in the new Gmail and, while writing the text, type “@” followed by the first few letters of a contact’s name. You’ll be recommended a few people. Select someone, either by hitting “Enter” or by clicking them. Their email address will be added to the “To” line, and a link to their email address will show up in the text. It’s not a mind-blowing feature but I could imagine it being occasionally useful. More importantly it makes email “feel” more like a modern messaging app, which I suspect will be important in coming years. I wonder what other features Gmail will copy from other messaging apps? See screen shots at this How-To Geek article: http://bit.ly/2rUGo5f

THREE iOS TRICKS YOU’RE PROBABLY NOT USING – Apple has packed a lot of features into iOS. Problem is, you can’t use them if you don’t know they are there.

Here are three simple, yet highly useful, iOS tricks that you’re probably not making use of.

Turn the keyboard into a trackpad – The first allows you to turn the keyboard into a trackpad to allow you to more easily move the cursor on the screen to navigate around documents. All you do is press down firmly on the keyboard (requires iPhone 6s/6s Plus or later) and when the keys turn blank you can slide your finger around the keyboard, moving the cursor at the same time.

Take better top-down photos – If you take a lot of top-down photographs – maybe shots of gadgets, or your food – then this tip will help you get better photos.

When you’re using the camera for taking top-down photos, you might have noticed two little crosses on the screen – one yellow, another white. To get your camera perfectly perpendicular to the ground, just align it so both crosses overlap and take your shot.

Quickly scroll to the top of the screen – To quickly get back to the top of an app where you’ve scrolled down, all you need to do is tap on the top of the screen (where the time or battery level is displayed = Status Bar) and you’ll effortlessly be taken back to the top.

The only app I’ve seen where a single tap doesn’t work is Safari, and here you must tap twice (a single tap brings up the address bar).

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR iPHONE RINGTONE– The problem with having a popular phone like an iPhone is that, by default, everyone has the same ringtone. If you want to give your iPhone a more personal sound, go to this How-To Geek article and get the steps.http://bit.ly/2wWcAdu

HOW TO USE GMAIL OFFLINE – Google has added offline access to Gmail. Here’s how to enable this new feature. In a hurry? Here’s a quick summary of the steps to enabling Gmail offline access:

Log in to your Gmail account

Click on the gear icon to open the Gmail menu, then click Settings

Under Settings find Offline. Click on it.

In the Offline menu, click Enable Offline Email

Choose how many days to sync, and whether to keep or remove cached email when signing out of a Gmail account.

Click Save Changes and you’re done.

Give Gmail some time to download messages and be sure you have Gmail open in Chrome before going offline.

HOW TO LET FAVORITE CONTACTS CALL YOU WHEN DO NOT DISTURB IS ON – The Do Not Disturb setting is handy, especially when you’re at work or sleeping. This feature allows you to receive all your usual notifications, minus the disruptive sounds and vibrations that tend to come with them. But what if someone on your favorites list (like your brother, mom, best friend, etc.) has an emergency and can’t get ahold of you? Well, there’s an easy way to let their call pass through the Do Not Disturb barrier. Here’s how to let Favorites contact you when Do Not Disturb is turned on.

In order for this to work, the contact must be a part of your Favorites list in Contacts. To add someone to your Favorites, open the Phone app. Tap the Favorites tab and select the + sign in the upper left corner. Choose the person from your contacts list who you want to add to Favorites.

To allow favorites to contact you when Do Not Disturb is on:

Open the Settings app

Tap Do Not Disturb.

Select Allow Calls From

Choose Favorites

HOW TO USE SWIPE OR GLIDE TYPING ON iPHONE – iOS is often behind Android with a variety of features, but fortunately there are usually some good third-party options to bring functionality like swipe or glide typing to iPhone.

Swipe texting has been around for quite a while, but Apple still doesn’t offer it with its default keyboard in iOS 11. Besides being able to type with increased speed, swipe typing is useful for one-handed typing and texting. While there are a variety of third-party options on the market, two of the most popular to offer swipe typing are Google’s Gboard and the Microsoft owned SwiftKey.

APPLE’S $29 iPHONE BATTERY REPLACEMENT PROGRAM: Apple says batteries are available ‘without delay.’ After admitting that it was purposefully throttling some older iPhones in order to conserve battery life, Apple has announced a new program that offers replacement batteries to all customers that may be affected. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Program runs out in Dec. 2018. All required repairs will be made on your iPhone at additional costs.

iPHONE: HOW TO DELETE ALL PHOTOS – Photos and videos can add up quickly on iPhone, filling up what may have seemed like a high storage capacity just weeks or months earlier. Whether you’re wanting a fresh start all together, or maybe transferring your photos to your Mac or other computer first, it can be helpful to know how to delete all photos from your iPhone.

If you want to keep any of your photos, make sure to back them up with a third-party service like Dropbox or Google Photos or your Mac or PC. If you use iCloud to back up your photos, you only have the option to restore all of them.

5 iOS HIDDEN SHORTCUTS THAT WILL BOOST PRODUCTIVITY – With every update to iOS, bug fixes and native apps aren’t the only things that get modified—Apple’s developers often include under-the-hood functionality and frameworks that enhance how users interact with their devices. Many of these updates are typically not highlighted in the release logs or bullet points compared to the much-touted new features and applications, so the enhancements often gain popularity when users discover them by accident or via word of mouth. For instance, gestures are shortcuts that allow for quick executions of common or helpful tasks. Gestures are often overlooked additions that are hidden throughout the system and can dramatically change how users do things. Learn about the 5 iOS hidden shortcuts by reading this Tech Republic article: https://tek.io/2G60a1N

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